Movies

The advent of industrialization and motion picture brought with it many societal changes. The conservative Protestants who thought of the changing dynamics of society as a cultural and social revolution that threatened the morality of the society, considered the motion picture at the forefront of threatening family values. The first ordinance to regulate film exhibitions was imposed in 1907. The Supreme Court also voiced its concern over motion pictures effects on the social transformation.  The sex lives of most Americans were also changing as concerns for sex hygiene became popular. While filmmakers made female sexuality a central theme of their films, the conservatives were increasingly becoming uncomfortable with female sexuality on screen. For filmmakers, it was becoming a multimillion dollar business. For the conservatives, it was an evil that could distort family values. Theatre owners and film distributors created their own rating board to avoid governmental censorship.
In the meantime, Production Codes were imposed on films. The largest production companies created a trade association, the MPPDA, to limit the influence of pro-censorship movements.  The president of the Association, William H. Hays, strived to limit the sexual depiction in films. But the success of films such as The Merry Widow (1925) which had a scene of orgy, inspired many other filmmakers to continue with increased sexual depiction in their films. Hays had little compliance from the studios and had more pressure from conservative movements, which led him to form the Studio Relations Committee which was placed between the filmmakers and the public which claimed to protect artistic freedom while still maintaining strict limits to expression.
Later, the Studio Relations committee was reorganized into the Production Code Administration (PCA) in 1934. The code succeeded for several reasons including the threats of boycotts based on the ratings developed for Catholics. Hence, the fear of boycott made it significant for many filmmakers to seek the seal of approval that abided by the conservative normative standards as stipulated by the code. Since the code was open to interpretations, filmmakers worked around the code by manipulating it the way that suited them.
When the MPPDA was replaced with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), it was more moderate in its approach than its predecessor organization.  Moreover, the code received its first major blow when motion pictures received their First Amendment protection. Increasingly, films without the seal of approval were getting more popular. Also, the revision of the Production Code that lifted the ban on homosexuality and other non-normative sexual behavior indicated that concessions being given to filmmakers and the increasing acceptability of sexual depictions in movies.
Distortion of Sexual realism through censorship laws and production codes
The restrictions on sex depicted through the cinema had the effect of denying the sexual diversity that existed in America. Till the late 70s, little was known about the sexual lives of the Americans, and the cinema was one of the best sources to show what people did. But the practice of censorship through censorship laws and the production code actually distorted the reality about sex. Instead of showing the sexual themes popular at the time, many filmmakers tried to align their films with the production code so that the seal of approval could be obtained.
To comply with the codes and other restrictions at home, filmmakers would make different versions of the same film for domestic and international release such as in the case of The Ambassadors Daughter(1965), which had a brassiere nightclub scene for the American version while a topless nightclub scene for the European version.
Among the downsides of the wide restrictions was the repression of freedom of expression in movies. Filmmakers had difficulty in exact representation of what they wanted to express. Hence, instead of creating great works of art when it came to sexuality, filmmakers retreated to make carefully edited movies that did not stretch the boundaries too far. In their search for approval and compliance with the codes, great cinematic works that depicted the true sexual themes could not be produced. Moreover, age diversifications in the market were widespread, with themes of mild sexuality intended only for mature audience while deeper themes had no place in the cinema due to the wide restrictions. Hence, the censorship laws had an even greater impact on sexual themes that broke away with traditions and these themes could not be brought to the cinema.
In essence, the censorships had a greater impact on movies and America for a very long time. It even had an impact on the movie costumes and environments. For example, the Tarzan movies before and after the enforcement of the Production Codes show a stark contrast in the costumes of the actors. Moreover, for a long time, many American public could not have access to mature themes that they liked to see on big screen. For American cinema and the public, the censorship laws were among the greatest impediments in their quest for freedom of expression and the changing sexual norms. In the backdrop of morality, American cinema was deprived of great artistic work in the form of sexual expression that has been a significant aspect of motion pictures.