A Tale of Two Movies: Protestants, Catholics, and Prior Censorship in Post–World War II Hollywood

Abstract

Abstract:This study is a close examination of The Nun's Story (Fred Zinnemann, 1959) and The Sins of Rachel Cade (Gordon Douglas, 1961), two Warner Bros. productions adapted, respectively, from a Catholic- and a Protestant-themed bestseller. The novels' similarity in subject and setting is as striking as the differences in their manner of production. Utilizing archival research, this analysis reveals Production Code Administration negotiations with producers and religious officials to be a crucible of concerns about aesthetics, religion, and market access, while also highlighting religious principles and crucial differences in Catholic and Protestant approaches to movie regulation when the Production Code era was showing its first signs of decline.