Motion Picture Association of America - History

History

In 1922, the "Big Three" motion picture studios; Famous Players-Lasky, Metro-Goldwyn and First National founded the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, headed by former U.S. Postmaster General Will H. Hays. In May 1925 Independent Producers Association, together with Motion Picture Theater Owners Of America, accused the "Big Three" for acting as a trust and denounced Hays as their "mouthpiece". In October they filed claims to the Federal Trade Commission, providing a 280-page report detailing "Big Three's" tactics. The "Big three" made a few concessions to quell the critics but the monopolistic studio system was eventually established and not brought down until 1948: United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc..

The group adopted the Motion Picture Production Code, popularly known as the "Hays Code" in 1930. The Code spelled out what was acceptable and what was unacceptable content for motion pictures produced for a public audience in the United States. Enforcement of Hays Code began in 1934 and continued until 1968, when it was replaced by the MPAA film rating system. The office enforcing the code was known as the Hays Office and later the Breen Office after its first administrator, Joseph Breen.

In 1945, Hays was succeeded by former U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Eric Johnston. It was during Johnston's tenure that the name of the organization was changed to "The Motion Picture Association of America". Johnston inherited the stringent censorship responsibilities associated with the Hays Code, but added to his mission the promotion of American films, which were gaining in popularity overseas in the post-World War II era. Following Johnston's death in 1963, the MPAA's top post remained unfilled for three years, while studio executives searched for a successor.

Alongside the progress of civil rights, women's rights and labor movements, a new kind of American film was emerging—frank and uninhibited. Amid society's expanding freedoms, the movie industry's restrictive regime of self-censorship became increasingly outdated. In May 1966, Jack Valenti, former Special Assistant to President Lyndon B. Johnson, was named MPAA President. That same year, sweeping revisions were made to the Hays Code to reflect changing social mores. In 1968, Valenti founded the voluntary film rating system easing restraints on filmmakers' creative and artistic freedoms, while fulfilling its core purpose of informing parents about the content of films so they can determine which movies are appropriate for their children.

In 2004, after serving as MPAA president for 38 years, Valenti retired and was replaced by former Kansas Congressman and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman. Glickman led the association during a period of significant industry transformation, retiring from the position in the Spring of 2010. On March 1, 2011, former senator Chris Dodd was chosen to be the new head of MPAA.