How Hollywood Used to Film Sex Scenes (9 photos)

In 1930, Hollywood adopted a code of ethics for film production, the so-called Hays Code. Among other things, it listed prohibitions regarding intimate filming.







If the characters are lying in bed, one foot must be on the floor.

The man and woman could be in bed in two ways: either they had to lie in separate beds (technically, this is also a sex scene, right?), or they had to share the same bed, but with one caveat: the woman's foot had to remain on the floor throughout the entire scene. Why the female leg symbolized adherence to moral norms is unknown.





No to "white slavery"

Dark-skinned heroes could be "captured" as much as they wanted, but depicting the bondage of Europeans was strictly prohibited. Incidentally, why this clause ended up under the "sex" section is unclear.



No nude silhouettes

During the years of the Hays Code, even the slightest hint of exposed skin was prohibited. Incidentally, silhouettes of naked beauties were also frowned upon.

"Transparent and translucent materials and silhouettes often look more provocative on screen than showing them directly."

Scenes requiring characters to change clothes were permitted only if it was "absolutely necessary for the plot." Actresses' curvaceous figures were checked for compliance with decency standards by specially appointed "bust inspectors."



Interracial relationships are prohibited.

Probably no (well, almost) clause of the code is as outdated as this one. Yes, it was strictly forbidden to show couples with different skin tones on screen. Fortunately, Stanley Kramer took the liberty of breaking this rule with the film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? (1967), in which the relationship between a black genius doctor and a young European woman became the central plot line.



Only Proper Dancing

The code faced a difficult task. On the one hand, dancing is an art, a means of expressing human emotion; on the other, it could express sexual incontinence, whether performed alone or in a couple. The code prohibited "indecent dancing that involved moving the breasts or vigorous body movements while the feet were motionless." This likely referred to something like belly dancing.



"No" to tongue kissing!

Did you ever find it strange that in old movies, instead of kissing, we only see the characters pressing their lips together? Here's the answer: the Hays Code prohibited any "overly passionate or lustful kissing." Characters had to kiss in a way that didn't "provoke animal instincts."



We cannot show the wedding night

It would seem that immoral and morally questionable sexual relations between lovers are one thing, and legal spouses are quite another. But even here, the code proved irreconcilable.

"Bedroom scenes must be filmed with taste and delicacy."



Only heterosexual relationships

In general, homosexuality in US cinema has always been a complex issue. Until the 1930s, gays were portrayed exclusively in a mocking manner: they were meant to elicit a laugh from the audience, most often depicted as pomaded, weaklings. The Hays Code further tightened this unspoken rule: any depiction of gays was prohibited. Although there were directors who skirted this rule, albeit cautiously. Now, homosexuals have become true villains. For example, in Alfred Hitchcock's Rope, two young men murder one of their fellow students out of pure curiosity. Their sexuality is never explicitly stated, but the hints are quite clear.