From 1934 to 1954 Joseph I. Breen, a media-savvy Victorian Irishman,
reigned over the Production Code Administration, the Hollywood office
tasked with censoring the American screen. Though little known outside
the ranks of the studio system, this former journalist and public
relations agent was one of the most powerful men in the motion picture
industry. As enforcer of the puritanical Production Code, Breen dictated
"final cut" over more movies than anyone in the history of American
cinema. His editorial decisions profoundly influenced the images and
values projected by Hollywood during the Great Depression, World War II,
and the Cold War.
Cultural historian Thomas Doherty tells the absorbing story of Breen's
ascent to power and the widespread effects of his reign. Breen vetted
story lines, blue-penciled dialogue, and excised footage (a process that
came to be known as "Breening") to fit the demands of his strict moral
framework. Empowered by industry insiders and millions of like-minded
Catholics who supported his missionary zeal, Breen strove to protect
innocent souls from the temptations beckoning from the motion picture
screen.
There were few elements of cinematic production beyond Breen's reach--he
oversaw the editing of A-list feature films, low-budget B movies, short
subjects, previews of coming attractions, and even cartoons. Populated
by a colorful cast of characters, including Catholic priests, Jewish
moguls, visionary auteurs, hardnosed journalists, and bluenose
agitators, Doherty's insightful, behind-the-scenes portrait brings a
tumultuous era--and an individual both feared and admired--to vivid
life.
