Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema 17 years old

Before the G, PG and R ratings system there was the Production Code, and before that there was, well, nothing. This eye-opening documentary examines the rampant sexuality of early Hollywood through movie clips and reminiscences by stars of the era. Gloria Swanson, Mary Pickford, Marlene Dietrich and others relate tales of the artistic freedom that led to the draconian Production Code, which governed content from 1934 to 1968. Diane Lane narrates.

Credits

Cecil B. DeMille as

Diane Lane as Narrator (voice)

Joan Crawford as

Bette Davis as

Charlie Chaplin as

Greta Garbo as

Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema Cast

Name	Character
Cecil B. DeMille He was 125, 77 years old when he died
Diane Lane She was 42, now 59 years old	as Narrator (voice)
Joan Crawford She was 103, 73 years old when she died
Bette Davis She was 99, 81 years old when she died
Charlie Chaplin He was 118, 88 years old when he died
Greta Garbo She was 101, 84 years old when she died
Cary Grant He was 103, 82 years old when he died
Leslie Howard He was 114, 50 years old when he died
Marlene Dietrich She was 105, 90 years old when she died
Myrna Loy She was 101, 88 years old when she died
Clara Bow She was 101, 60 years old when she died
Barbara Stanwyck She was 99, 82 years old when she died
Budd Schulberg He was 93, 95 years old when he died	as Himself
Pola Negri She was 110, 90 years old when she died
Mabel Normand She was 113, 36 years old when she died
Gloria Swanson She was 108, 84 years old when she died
Bebe Daniels She was 106, 70 years old when she died
D.W. Griffith He was 132, 73 years old when he died
Theda Bara She was 121, 69 years old when she died
Owen Moore He was 120, 52 years old when he died
Mae West She was 113, 87 years old when she died
Jean Harlow She was 96, 26 years old when she died
Mary Pickford She was 114, 86 years old when she died
Douglas Fairbanks He was 124, 56 years old when he died
Sessue Hayakawa He was 117, 84 years old when he died
Edna Purviance She was 111, 62 years old when she died
Louise Brooks She was 100, 78 years old when she died
Texas Guinan She was 123, 49 years old when she died
A.C. Lyles He was 89, 95 years old when he died	as Himself
William Randolph Hearst He was 144, 88 years old when he died
Will H. Hays He was 127, 74 years old when he died
Colleen Moore She was 107, 88 years old when she died
Rudolph Valentino He was 112, 31 years old when he died
William Wellman, Jr. He was 70, now 87 years old	as Himself
Cari Beauchamp She was 56, now 73 years old	as Herself
Theodore Roosevelt He was 148, 60 years old when he died
John Gilbert He was 109, 38 years old when he died
Michael Westmore He was 69, now 86 years old	as Himself
Mary Miles Minter She was 105, 82 years old when she died
Fannie Ward She was 135, 79 years old when she died

Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema Crew

Name	Department
Maria Newman as Music. She was 45 (now 62) years old	Sound

Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema poster

Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema (17 years)

Release day: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Runtime: 70 minutes