Hitchcock Chronology: Production Code Administration
Entries in the Hitchcock Chronology relating to Production Code Administration...
1935
February
- 14th - Michael Balcon departs from Southampton aboard the Olympic, bound for New York and Hollywood. Whilst in America, he plans to promote Gaumont-British and to sign deals to distribute the company's films. He also meets with Will H. Hays and Joseph L. Breen of the Production Code Administration and later states, "If we in England want distribution in this market [America], it is entirely logical that we should be prepared to observe the code principles."[1]
1954
February
- The Production Code Administration office rejects the initial cut of Rear Window, in particular raising objections to scenes where Miss Torso appears to be topless. According to John Michael Hayes, Hitchcock had done this on purpose to divert their attention from other parts of the film that he had suspected they might object to. The scene is easily replaced with an alternative non-topless take.[2]
March
- 30th - The Production Code Administration office issues a certificate of approval for Rear Window.[3]
May
- 3rd - John Michael Hayes completes the script for To Catch a Thief, although further rewrites will be required to tighten it and remove parts that the Production Code Administration object to.[4]
July
- Film censor Joseph Breen continues to object to certain planned scenes in To Catch a Thief, including the dropping of a casino chip down a woman's cleavage, the symbolic firework display and some of Cary Grant's more risqué dialogue.[5]
August
- 3rd - John Michael Hayes' latest version of the The Trouble With Harry script is submitted to the Production Code Administration office. Joe Breen of the PCA responds two days later with concerns about the line "Do you realize you'll be the first man to cross her threshold?", implications that Arnie is illegitimate, and discussions about Jennifer's wedding night.[6]
September
- 14th - Hitchcock and John Michael Hayes complete changes requested by the Production Code Administration to the script for The Trouble with Harry.[7]
1955
February
- 24th - Geoffrey Shurlock, the new director of the Production Code Administration, issues the certificate of approval to To Catch a Thief on the proviso that an edit is made to the scene with Grace Kelly and Cary Grant which ends with the fireworks display. Hitchcock eventually appeases Shurlock by toning down Lyn Murray's sensuous tenor saxophone in the scene.[8]
1961
November
- 21st - The Production Code Administration's Geoffrey Shurlock writes to Peggy Robertson with a list of concerns over the script for The Birds.[9]
References
- ↑ Quoted from Motion Picture Daily (20/Apr/1935).
- ↑ Writing with Hitchcock (2001) by Steven DeRosa, page 46
- ↑ Writing with Hitchcock (2001) by Steven DeRosa, page 47
- ↑ Writing with Hitchcock (2001) by Steven DeRosa, page 104
- ↑ Writing with Hitchcock (2001) by Steven DeRosa, page 116
- ↑ Writing with Hitchcock (2001) by Steven DeRosa, page 135
- ↑ Writing with Hitchcock (2001) by Steven DeRosa, pages 138-39
- ↑ Writing with Hitchcock (2001) by Steven DeRosa, page 122
- ↑ The Making of Hitchcock's The Birds (2013) by Tony Lee Moral, page 182
