The Production Code. Love it, hate it, or have fun mocking it, but there’s no getting around it. It spurred Hollywood to produce films that are still as emotionally powerful and beloved today as they were decades ago.
How?
One way, was by forcing the already incredibly talented writers, directors, actors and cinematographers to come up with clever, subtle and down right sneaky ways to get more adult content past the censors (and over-the-heads of the underage audience members) and into their films.
So what better day to celebrate the joke played on The Production Code office then on this April Fool’s Day? Here are 3 clips from 3 classic film noirs. Amidst the lust, greed and murders that were approved of by The Production Code, are certain lines, gestures and situations that shone a bit blue once they appeared on the silver screen:
The Big Sleep (1946)
Known for its notoriously confusing plot that ultimately, neither the screenwriters nor private detective Philip Marlowe’s creator, writer Raymond Chandler, could ever explain, The Big Sleep remains a fan favorite due to the fact that Bogie and Bacall are just way too much fun to watch – plot be damned!
Here, Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) meets his rich client’s pretty, eldest daughter, Vivian Rutledge (Lauren Bacall) for a drink. It seems they both enjoy playing the horses…
I don’t know what the censors thought was being talked about in this scene but, it’s the only bit of dialogue I can follow in the entire movie – and I know nothing of horses!
Double Indemnity (1944)
Double Indemnity is recognized as one of the first and, many believe, finest, of all film noirs. For years I was content to just count the number of times Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) called Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck), “Baby.”
But, this scene started to make me a little curious. What was an ‘osteopath’? It sounded vaguely medical. So why was Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) referring to this individual as a ‘she’? In 1944, 99.9% of all doctors were male. So I looked up ‘osteopath,’ and then…I watched again.
The censors trusted Mr. Jackson (Porter Hall) from, “Medford, Medford, Oregon,” far more than they should have.
Laura (1944)
Police detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) investigates the murder of Laura (Gene Tierney), a beautiful, beloved, young advertising executive. As he does so, and defying all logic, he finds himself falling in love with the dead woman. Then, Laura surprises everyone by showing up very much alive! It’s a great plot twist and one that keeps the audience guessing up ’til the very end as to who actually killed this other young woman, believing it to have been Laura, and why.
In the opening scene, McPherson questions Laura’s close friend, Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb), as he takes a bath. When he’s done, Lydecker asks McPherson for his robe. Cut to McPherson as we hear Lydecker rising up out of the water in front of him.
Did you catch it? McPherson (Dana Andrews), keeping his gaze steady, smirks ever-so-slightly before tossing Lydecker (Clifton Webb) his robe. Where’s Waldo, indeed.
Happy April Fool’s Day!
