The topic of my paper will be the fallen woman film and the industry censorship on the issues it raised. I will focus on Baby Face, a 1933 representative of the genre, which is a typical gold digger story. Just like in the case of Scarface, the Hays Office demanded that some changes be made to the film because as it was, it stood as a glorification of vice. My thesis will be: even with the censors’ revisions, the film remains a gem, typical of the pre-Code Hollywood period when even though the Code was adopted in 1930, it was not fully imposed until 1934.Despite the changes it manages to represent its idea through camera movements, decor, and music. Moreover, it was one of the films that called for the stricter enforcement of the Code.
Outline:
I will begin with an introductory paragraph about the early 1930s: the studios, the censorship groups, the Depression and the types of movies the studios were producing. I will make a transition to the fallen women category and Baby Face as the perfect gold digger story that infuriated moral guardians.Then I plan on giving a brief account of the plot, followed by the major changes imposed by the censors. Then I will focus on the particular techniques of the filmmakers like the decor, the sound, and the camera shots in order to prove that they were essential and sufficient for the movie to have the desired effect on the audience. I will pay a special attention to the issue of “glamour” in the film. In a final paragraph I will try to reinforce my thesis with some quotes and conclusions.
July 9, 2009 at 11:00 pm |
So your thesis is that the censorship of Baby Face didnt ruin the film? In the changed scenes, will you be discussing what the film maker wanted to portray? and additionally how the censorship did or didnt have it’s full effect? I like your idea
July 10, 2009 at 12:07 am |
This seems like a well-rounded paper. Will you be providing other examples of Fallen Woman films? Do you have any accounts of what the original script was like, or if the filming/musical/lighting style was changed in response to censorship? Why did you choose Baby Face? It sounds like you’ll have fun writing this.