it's kind of surprising, but there's quite a bit of it actually. for example, in the movie, Guess Who's Coming For Dinner, the lead actress says "bitch".

it's kind of surprising, but there's quite a bit of it actually. for example, in the movie, Guess Who's Coming For Dinner, the lead actress says "bitch".


The Hays Motion Picture Production Code the industry-adopted in 1933 to self-police the movies was in effect until 1968.  The industry tended to censor itself quite harshly because they didn't want to give the government a chance to do it for them!  For several decades "Frankly, I don't give a damn" was about as nasty as the language got.  Your picture, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" was released in 1967.  The Motion Picture Association could have quashed its release until the term of abuse was changed, but by 1967, social mores had changed enough to make the b-word risque but not taboo. 

After 1968, the MPAA developed the present rating system (add X, minus PG-13 and NC17).

When I was growing up in the seventies and early eighties most mainstream magazines wouldn't print the f- word.  Now it's no big deal.  I mean, you might see it in "Newsweek" in quoted material, not editorial content.  This isn't "Jersey Shore."  "Ayyyy, what's da big f**ki' deal with Afghanistan, huh?"

In 1980, I remember being surprised to see the word "bullsh*t" printed severally in a political cartoon in "Newsweek."  I was just a kid...it was a pleasant surprise!  Hey, b.s. is in Newsweek!  It was a cartoon referring to presidential candidate Barry Commoner (Citizens Party) using the word "bullsh*t" in reference to something else! It used to be only drunks and sailors used the word "bullsh*t."  Now it's just out of periphery of polite conversation!
:D

The Hays Motion Picture Production Code the industry-adopted in 1933 to self-police the movies was in effect until 1968.  The industry tended to censor itself quite harshly because they didn't want to give the government a chance to do it for them!  For several decades "Frankly, I don't give a damn" was about as nasty as the language got.  Your picture, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" was released in 1967.  The Motion Picture Association could have quashed its release until the term of abuse was changed, but by 1967, social mores had changed enough to make the b-word risque but not taboo. 

After 1968, the MPAA developed the present rating system (add X, minus PG-13 and NC17).

When I was growing up in the seventies and early eighties most mainstream magazines wouldn't print the f- word.  Now it's no big deal.  I mean, you might see it in "Newsweek" in quoted material, not editorial content.  This isn't "Jersey Shore."  "Ayyyy, what's da big f**ki' deal with Afghanistan, huh?"

In 1980, I remember being surprised to see the word "bullsh*t" printed severally in a political cartoon in "Newsweek."  I was just a kid...it was a pleasant surprise!  Hey, b.s. is in Newsweek!  It was a cartoon referring to presidential candidate Barry Commoner (Citizens Party) using the word "bullsh*t" in reference to something else! It used to be only drunks and sailors used the word "bullsh*t."  Now it's just out of periphery of polite conversation!
:D


It seems to me that there was a specific group of films, Bonnie And Clyde, The Graduate, The Trip, Valley Of The Dolls (just to name a few) out around 1967 or so that were testing the line to see how far they could cross without going over the edge.

The last of the studio system and the old way of making movies was gone by the mid to late sixties, and a lot of studios and film makers were desperately looking for other ways to present cinema.

A lot tried more risqué subject matter and story telling that they couldn't have gotten away with before, and we, as an audience was hungry for it, not that we were so looking for sex, drugs and violence, but we didn't turn our heads when it was presented to us either.

I think the late sixties to early 70's was one of the last great movie making periods of the 20th century. We have a lot of great sexy, violent colorful films that came from the era, probably due to the lack of a rating system in the late 60's and then the introduction of the MPAA system thereafter.

It seems to me that there was a specific group of films, Bonnie And Clyde, The Graduate, The Trip, Valley Of The Dolls (just to name a few) out around 1967 or so that were testing the line to see how far they could cross without going over the edge.

The last of the studio system and the old way of making movies was gone by the mid to late sixties, and a lot of studios and film makers were desperately looking for other ways to present cinema.

A lot tried more risqué subject matter and story telling that they couldn't have gotten away with before, and we, as an audience was hungry for it, not that we were so looking for sex, drugs and violence, but we didn't turn our heads when it was presented to us either.

I think the late sixties to early 70's was one of the last great movie making periods of the 20th century. We have a lot of great sexy, violent colorful films that came from the era, probably due to the lack of a rating system in the late 60's and then the introduction of the MPAA system thereafter.


Absolutely.  1967 was showing us how much social mores had changed and how little the MPAA wanted to enforce it the way the did it 30 years before.  The next year they abandoned it.

As a result of a trust case in the supreme court in the 1958 (I think) SCOTUS found the studios could no longer own the theaters.  That was another way the studios kept a lock-out on dirty movies.  Paramount will not distribute a morally denigrating film and Paramount Theaters will not show it.  Company policy.  If there is a "Paramount Theater" in your time it is "Paramount" in name only. 

An unintended effect was the suburbs and home movies.  This imperiled porn as an artform because you could turn out a dozen titles in a month rather three a year.  As porn got democratized, it lost the need to mimic plots in other movies.  The audience wasn't interested in sets, plots, or music.
::)

Absolutely.  1967 was showing us how much social mores had changed and how little the MPAA wanted to enforce it the way the did it 30 years before.  The next year they abandoned it.

Paramount will not distribute a morally denigrating film and Paramount Theaters will not show it.  Company policy.  If there is a "Paramount Theater" in your time it is "Paramount" in name only.

Yet a mere 5 years later, Paramount had no qualms about hurling this monstrosity at our television sets at 200 mph, just so they could freak all the children out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMYGp_DES4A&feature=related

The bastards.  >:( >:( >:(