Page 34 - CR

The “Sin”
The “Sin”

in Cinema
in Cinema

– By Ross King –

hroughout human history sexuality About this time the first of the films
Thas been depicted in the ostensibly promoting “community
hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt, the health education” emerged from the
frescoes of ancient Rome and Greece. studios. The question remained, was
With the advent of photography and public health the real purpose of these
cinematography the portrayal of films or were they simply exploitation
sexuality became even more prolific. films to fatten the coffers of the movie
The issue still causes much anguish studios?
between differing groups within the As has been proven time and time
community. again when controversial issues are
Some of the earliest experiments of brought to the screen, the outcry and
motion pictures used naked models to resultant publicity almost always
accurately portray human movement, guarantees a box office success.
however it was probably during the Recently, CATHS member, Colin The film, produced in 1941, deals
1920’s with the peak of the silent era Flint from Adelaide sent a display with the scourge of Syphilis. This being
and the studio “star” system that had advertisement that had appeared in the the era before the advent of penicillin
originated in the USA the issue of Adelaide Saturday Mail in October and antibiotics, sex hygiene films were
motion picture censorship came to the 1942, advertising the film “No Greater generally given much easier approval
fore. Sin” at the York Theatre.. from the Motion Picture Association of
America (MPAA), the body that spelled
out what was unacceptable content for
motion pictures produced for a public
audience in the United States.
However, the film was released
without being granted the Production
Code Authority seal of approval. Rules
akin to those of the MPAA were also
applied by the Australian –
Commonwealth Censor
In the USA, “No Greater Sin” was
also condemned by the Legion of
Decency for presenting material “unfit
for the screen” as it dealt with
preventing venereal disease among
teenagers.
The film was made with the
intention of being shown in churches
and to parent/teacher groups, yet it was
sold for cinema exhibition as an
exploitation film.
Its release in the US caused quite a
stir where some state censorship
authorities rejected its exhibition.
Shortly after release in the US the
film was released at the Savoy, Sydney
where it enjoyed a four session-a-day
extended season running from 1st May
till 28th May, 1942 with the supporting
Laurel & Hardy feature, “A Chump At
Oxford”.

34 2010 CINEMARECORD