Sex, Censorship and the Silver Screen — Season 1
About this season
A six-part series exploring the 100 year evolution of sexuality and censorship in motion pictures. The series journeys backward in time, leading off with the most explicit excerpts and the most recognizable stars.
Episodes (6)
1. Going All the Way
Aired 27 September 1996 • 53 min
The resurgence of sex-themed films in the 1980s and 90s. Archival material examines the depiction of sexual themes in films.
2. Look Ma, No Clothes
Aired 4 October 1996 • 55 min
Hollywood challenges the production codes; ratings emerge. Filmmakers: Russ Meyer, Ingmar Bergman, and Federico Fellini.
3. Hollywood Comes of Age
Aired 11 October 1996 • 52 min
Sex symbols and art films open the door to explicit sex. Stars: Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren.
4. Censored
Aired 18 October 1996 • 58 min
The Hays Office set the content standards in Hollywood's Golden Age. Covers the post-Prohibition era of the thirties and forties, which featured Hedy Lamarr, Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, and Veronica Lake.
5. The Temptations of Eve
Aired 25 October 1996 • 51 min
The double entendres of early talkies roused calls for censorship. Covers the period from 1927 to the mid-thirties and features stars such as Marlene Dietrich, Busby Berkeley and Mae West.
6. Sex and the Silent Screen
Aired 1 November 1996 • 58 min
The silent era ended with the establishment of the Hays office.