re: Convention City. Lost Pre-Code Film May have Contributed to Adoption of Hays Code.

Judging from some old movie magazines I have from that era, it seems "The Story of Temple Drake" (1933) was the film that really set people off. And it is a pretty skeezy film. It was never circulating on television through the years, so it became a bit more obscure and forgotten than some others.

"Convention City" gets mentioned here and there, too. But not "Baby Face" (1933). Everyone likes to cite that one nowadays (and it is a pretty raunchy affair), but I don't seem to run into any hubbub about it from back then. But back at that pre-code time, each state had its own censor boards, so there were variations in what and how much might have gotten cut from prints screened. The majority of people seeing these hotsy-totsy films probably didn't see them in their uncut glory.

One odd thing is that we now get hi-definition transfers of a lot of these old films, if original negative elements survive. So, in the case of some musical comedies with dancing-gals in skimpy, gossamer clothing and such, with the added sharpness we sometimes actually 'see' a bit more.