Brute Force

Recently borrowed the movie Brute Force from the library. Made in 1947, it stars Burt Lancaster, Hume Cronyn and Charles Bickford. Directed by Jules Dassin, it's a melodrama about a desperate prisoner who will go to all lengths to escape and a masochistic guard who intends to make Warden and transform the prison into the cruelest of infirmaries. The film was well acted and very violent and subversive for something from the 1940s. In fact, in the booklet that came with the movie that described the making of the film and what not, was a letter from Motion Picture Academy Production Code Head Officer Jospeh Breen to producer Mark Hellinger. Breen and the Production Code had to accept the script before filming began. Here are some of the details brought to attention by Breen:

Page 33: At the outset, we direct your attention to the need for the greatest possible care in the selection and photographing of the costumes and dresses for your women. The MPAPC mas it mandatory that the intimate parts of the body- specifically, the breasts of women- be fully covered at all times. Any compromise with this regulation will compel us to withhold approval of your picture.

Page 43: Please omit the exclamation "For God's sake."

Page 65: We understand that you will omit this action of the guards clubbing the prisoner after he has surrendered.

Page 94: We understand that you will omit he line "High octane gas."

Page 120: We understand that the detailed showing of men lighting he fuses with their cigarettes will be omitted entirely, or at least kept down to once scene.

Page 126: Here and throughout the picture, please bear in mind the clause in the Code which forbids the showing of policemen, guards, etc., dying at the hands of criminals.

There were several others that sounded ludicrous when you look at today's cinema. Perhaps the most interesting fact is most of these "details" were ignored. I recommend this film to anyone. I actually did a fist pump during the climax.