List of films condemned by the Legion of Decency

List of films condemned by the Legion of Decency

This is a list of films condemned by the Legion of Decency, a United
States Catholic organization.

The condemned (or C) rating was issued from the time of the Legion's
formation in 1933 until 1978, when the C rating and the B rating were
merged into the new O ("morally offensive") rating.

The Legion's ratings were applied to movies made in the United States
(which were subject to the Production Code until 1967) as well as
those which were imported from other countries. Beginning in 1968, the
ratings were applied in addition to any rating assigned by the MPAA
film rating system.

Legion-organized boycotts made a C rating harmful to a film's
distribution and profitability. Accordingly, for the majority of years
that the rating was applied, most condemned films were made outside of
the United States, where their producers didn't have as much to fear
from the condemnation. Of the 53 movies which the Legion had placed on
its condemned list by 1943, only Howard Hughes' The Outlaw came from a
major US studio, and it had not been approved by the Production Code
or distributed widely.

Despite rumor to the contrary, Elia Kazan's 1951 A Streetcar Named
Desire did not receive a C rating. However, it was cut by 4 minutes to
avoid condemnation.
This film, television, or video-related list is incomplete; you can
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By Year

1933

* Blood Money
* Design for Living
* Grandeur and Decadence -- One of the first foreign films to be condemned.
* Queen Christina
* The Worst Woman in Paris

1934

* Finishing School
* The Life of Vergie Winters
* Madame DuBarry
* Men in White
* One More River
* Riptide
* The Scarlet Empress

1937

* Damaged Goods

1940

* Strange Cargo -- Initially condemned, the studio released a cut version.
* This Thing Called Love

1941

* No Greater Sin -- Not approved by the Production Code.
* Two-Faced Woman
* Volpone

1942

* White Cargo

1943

* The Outlaw

1945

* Mom and Dad

1947

* Black Narcissus
* Forever Amber

1948

* Three Daring Daughters

1951

* M
* The Miracle (film)

1953

* The Moon is Blue -- The first studio-produced film to
deliberately bypass Production Code approval.

1954

* The French Line

1955

* Rififi -- Initially condemned, was re-released with changes for B rating.

1956

* And God Created Woman
* Baby Doll -- The first film to be approved by the Production
Code but condemned by the Legion of Decency.

1957

* Love in the Afternoon -- Initially condemned, the studio changed
the ending.

1960

* Breathless
* Never on Sunday

1961

* A Cold Wind in August
* Jules and Jim
* Viridiana

1962

* Boccaccio '70

1964

* Kiss Me, Stupid
* From Russia With Love

1965

* The Pawnbroker

1966

* Blowup
* Masculin, féminin
* Torn Curtain

1967

* Hurry Sundown
* A Fistful of Dollars

1968

* Rosemary's Baby
* The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

1969

* I Am Curious (Yellow)

1971

* A Clockwork Orange
* The Last Picture Show
* Billy Jack

1973

* Last Tango in Paris
* The Wicker Man

1976

* The Outlaw Josey Wales
* Carrie
* The Omen (The remake wasn't.)

1978

* Grease
* Dawn of the Dead

Legion of Decency, condemned films