The Hays Office and the Two Updated Film Versions of Madeleine Smith’s Case: Letty Lynton (1932) and Dishonored Lady (1947)
Abstract The celebrated case of Madeleine Smith, the Glasgow poisoner, who was tried for murder (and absolved) in 1857, has resulted in many novels, plays, films and television series. Hollywood, during its classical period, made two updated versions of the incident: Letty Lynton (Clarence Brown, 1932) and Dishonored Lady (Robert Stevenson, 1947). Even though the two films are separated by more than a decade, the self-censorship introduced by the studios themselves – MPPDA, commonly known as the Hays Office – exercised so much control over the two pictures that they can hardly be taken as equivalent. This article proposes a comparative analysis of the two films and how censorship acted as a constraint on them. Through this study, we will establish the different ways the MPPDA acted towards the same material both before and after July 1934, when Hollywood became subject to the rigorous oversight of the Hays Code.
- Referencias
- Cómo citar
- Del mismo autor
- Métricas
- Fuentes primarias:
Armendariz Sought For Buddy Rogers Pic (30 de enero de 1946). Variety, 161(8), 9.
Bell, T. (17 de agosto de 1944). Hollywood. Motion Picture Daily, 56(33), 10.
Coast Flashes (25 de febrero de 1944). Motion Picture Daily, 55(39), 3.
“Dishonored Lady” to be Stromberg UA Production (24 de junio de 1942). Film Daily, 81(122), 1, 6.
Hall, M. (30 de abril de 1932). Letty Lynton. New York Times, 19.
Inside Stuff-Pictures (12 de julio de 1932). Variety, 107(5), 37.
Lowndes, M. B. (1948). Letty Lynton. Barcelona, España: Luis de Caralt.
“Lynton” Starts Piracy Action Against M-G-M (28 de junio de 1932). Variety, 107(3), 10.
M-G Ducks Hays’ “Dishonored” Ban By Book Title (5 de enero de 1932). Variety, 105(4), 3.
Much Litigated “Dishonored Lady” Winds Up With Original Tag at UA (17 de junio de 1942). Variety, 147(2), 22.
Sargent, E. W. (8 de noviembre de 1932). Odd Plagiarism Angle in “Letty Lynton” Suit. Variety, 108(9), 19.
Stromberg Back to Coast (13 de diciembre de 1944). Motion Picture Daily, 56(113), 10.
Studios Limit Takes To Two Per Scene (1 de noviembre de 1944). Motion Picture Daily, 56(85), 9.
UA Owners – Stromberg First (15 de julio de 1942). Variety, 147(6), 15.
- Fuentes secundarias:
Barton, R. (2010). Hedy Lamarr: The Most Beautiful Woman in Film. Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentuky.
Breitenbach, E., Fleming, L., Kehoe, S. K., & Orr, L. (Eds.) (2013). Scottish Women: A Documentary History, 1780-1914. Edimburgo, Reino Unido: Edinburgh University Press.
Brownlow, K. (1996). David Lean. A Biography. Londres, Reino Unido: Richard Cohen Books.
Decherney, P. (2012). Hollywood’s Copyright Wars. Nueva York, NY: Columbia University Press.
Eyles, A. (1987). That was Hollywood: the 1930’s. Londres, Reino Unido: Batsford.
González-Sampedro, I. (2014). Reivindicación de la cultura urbana en “The Role of Notable Silences in Scottish History”, de A. L. Kennedy. Miscelánea: A Journal of English and American Studies, 50, 35-47.
Guiralt Gomar, C. (2012). Fundamentos de la obra cinematográfica de Clarence Brown: Inicios y consolidación estilística en el contexto del cine clásico norteamericano entre los años 1915-1925. (Tesis doctoral). Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, España.
Gutner, H. (2001). Gowns by Adrian. Nueva York, NY: Harry N. Abrams.
Hartman, M. S. (2014). Victorian Murderesses: A True History of Thirteen Respectable French and English Women Accused of Unspeakable Crimes. Mineola, NY: Dover.
Hischak, T. S. (2009). Broadway Plays and Musicals: Descriptions and Essential Facts of More Than 14,000 Shows through 2007. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company.
Kabatchnik, A. (2010). Blood on the Stage, 1925-1950: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
Knox, W. W. J. (2006). Lives of Scottish Women: Women and Scottish Society, 1800-1980. Edimburgo, Reino Unido: Edinburgh University Press.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9780748624096.001.0001
Lamarr, H. (1968). “Éxtasis” y yo. México, D.F., México: Grijalbo.
MacGowan, D. (1999). Murder in Victorian Scotland. The Trial of Madeleine Smith. Westport, CT: Praeger.
Moix, T. (1996). Mis inmortales del cine. Hollywood, años 30. Barcelona, España: Planeta.
Shearer, S. M. (2010). Beautiful: The Life of Hedy Lamarr. Nueva York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.
Simkin, S. (2014). Cultural Constructions of the Femme Fatale: From Pandora’s Box to Amanda Knox. Nueva York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137313324
Vaidhyanathan, S. (2003). Copyrights and Copywrongs. Nueva York, NY: New York University Press.
Vieira, M. A. (1999). Sin in Soft Focus: Pre-Code Hollywood. Nueva York, NY: Harry N. Abrams.
Vieira, M. A. (2009). Irving Thalberg. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Walker, A. (1983). Joan Crawford. The Ultimate Star. Londres, Reino Unido: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
- Bases de datos y documentos:
AFI Catalog of Feature Films (2016). The American Film Institute Catalog Database 1893-1970. Recuperado de http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/. Fecha de consulta: 1 de agosto de 2015.
Sentencias originales del proceso judicial Sheldon et al. v. Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corporation et al., United States Federal Goverment, United States Supreme Court. Recuperadas de https://supreme.justia.com/. Fecha de consulta: 5 de agosto de 2015:
Sheldon v. Metro-Goldwyn-Pictures Corp., 7 F. Supp. 837 (S.D.N.Y. 1934).
Sheldon v. Metro-Goldwyn-Pictures Corp., 81 F.2d 49 (2d Cir. 1936).
Armendariz Sought For Buddy Rogers Pic (30 de enero de 1946). Variety, 161(8), 9.
Bell, T. (17 de agosto de 1944). Hollywood. Motion Picture Daily, 56(33), 10.
Coast Flashes (25 de febrero de 1944). Motion Picture Daily, 55(39), 3.
“Dishonored Lady” to be Stromberg UA Production (24 de junio de 1942). Film Daily, 81(122), 1, 6.
Hall, M. (30 de abril de 1932). Letty Lynton. New York Times, 19.
Inside Stuff-Pictures (12 de julio de 1932). Variety, 107(5), 37.
Lowndes, M. B. (1948). Letty Lynton. Barcelona, España: Luis de Caralt.
“Lynton” Starts Piracy Action Against M-G-M (28 de junio de 1932). Variety, 107(3), 10.
M-G Ducks Hays’ “Dishonored” Ban By Book Title (5 de enero de 1932). Variety, 105(4), 3.
Much Litigated “Dishonored Lady” Winds Up With Original Tag at UA (17 de junio de 1942). Variety, 147(2), 22.
Sargent, E. W. (8 de noviembre de 1932). Odd Plagiarism Angle in “Letty Lynton” Suit. Variety, 108(9), 19.
Stromberg Back to Coast (13 de diciembre de 1944). Motion Picture Daily, 56(113), 10.
Studios Limit Takes To Two Per Scene (1 de noviembre de 1944). Motion Picture Daily, 56(85), 9.
UA Owners – Stromberg First (15 de julio de 1942). Variety, 147(6), 15.
- Fuentes secundarias:
Barton, R. (2010). Hedy Lamarr: The Most Beautiful Woman in Film. Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentuky.
Breitenbach, E., Fleming, L., Kehoe, S. K., & Orr, L. (Eds.) (2013). Scottish Women: A Documentary History, 1780-1914. Edimburgo, Reino Unido: Edinburgh University Press.
Brownlow, K. (1996). David Lean. A Biography. Londres, Reino Unido: Richard Cohen Books.
Decherney, P. (2012). Hollywood’s Copyright Wars. Nueva York, NY: Columbia University Press.
Eyles, A. (1987). That was Hollywood: the 1930’s. Londres, Reino Unido: Batsford.
González-Sampedro, I. (2014). Reivindicación de la cultura urbana en “The Role of Notable Silences in Scottish History”, de A. L. Kennedy. Miscelánea: A Journal of English and American Studies, 50, 35-47.
Guiralt Gomar, C. (2012). Fundamentos de la obra cinematográfica de Clarence Brown: Inicios y consolidación estilística en el contexto del cine clásico norteamericano entre los años 1915-1925. (Tesis doctoral). Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, España.
Gutner, H. (2001). Gowns by Adrian. Nueva York, NY: Harry N. Abrams.
Hartman, M. S. (2014). Victorian Murderesses: A True History of Thirteen Respectable French and English Women Accused of Unspeakable Crimes. Mineola, NY: Dover.
Hischak, T. S. (2009). Broadway Plays and Musicals: Descriptions and Essential Facts of More Than 14,000 Shows through 2007. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company.
Kabatchnik, A. (2010). Blood on the Stage, 1925-1950: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
Knox, W. W. J. (2006). Lives of Scottish Women: Women and Scottish Society, 1800-1980. Edimburgo, Reino Unido: Edinburgh University Press.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9780748624096.001.0001
Lamarr, H. (1968). “Éxtasis” y yo. México, D.F., México: Grijalbo.
MacGowan, D. (1999). Murder in Victorian Scotland. The Trial of Madeleine Smith. Westport, CT: Praeger.
Moix, T. (1996). Mis inmortales del cine. Hollywood, años 30. Barcelona, España: Planeta.
Shearer, S. M. (2010). Beautiful: The Life of Hedy Lamarr. Nueva York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.
Simkin, S. (2014). Cultural Constructions of the Femme Fatale: From Pandora’s Box to Amanda Knox. Nueva York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137313324
Vaidhyanathan, S. (2003). Copyrights and Copywrongs. Nueva York, NY: New York University Press.
Vieira, M. A. (1999). Sin in Soft Focus: Pre-Code Hollywood. Nueva York, NY: Harry N. Abrams.
Vieira, M. A. (2009). Irving Thalberg. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Walker, A. (1983). Joan Crawford. The Ultimate Star. Londres, Reino Unido: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
- Bases de datos y documentos:
AFI Catalog of Feature Films (2016). The American Film Institute Catalog Database 1893-1970. Recuperado de http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/. Fecha de consulta: 1 de agosto de 2015.
Sentencias originales del proceso judicial Sheldon et al. v. Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corporation et al., United States Federal Goverment, United States Supreme Court. Recuperadas de https://supreme.justia.com/. Fecha de consulta: 5 de agosto de 2015:
Sheldon v. Metro-Goldwyn-Pictures Corp., 7 F. Supp. 837 (S.D.N.Y. 1934).
Sheldon v. Metro-Goldwyn-Pictures Corp., 81 F.2d 49 (2d Cir. 1936).
Guiralt Gomar, C. (2016). The Hays Office and the Two Updated Film Versions of Madeleine Smith’s Case: Letty Lynton (1932) and Dishonored Lady (1947). Fonseca, Journal of Communication, 12(12), 183–204. https://doi.org/10.14201/fjc201612183204
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
+
−