Motion Picture Production Code

The Motion Picture Production Code, commonly known as the Hays Code, was a set of guidelines established in the early 1930s to regulate the content of films in the United States. Designed to ensure that movies promoted moral standards, it prohibited excessive violence, sexual content, and other controversial themes. Filmmakers had to obtain approval before releasing their films, which ultimately shaped the storytelling and visual styles of the era. The code was enforced until the late 1960s, when changing social attitudes led to its decline and the introduction of the modern film rating system.