Hitchcock and the Censors

by John Billheimer

Throughout his career, Alfred Hitchcock had to deal with a wide variety of censors attuned to the slightest suggestion of sexual innuendo, undue violence, toilet humor, religious disrespect, and all forms of indecency, real or imagined. From 1934 to 1968, the Motion Picture Production Code Office controlled the content and final cut on all films made and distributed in the United States. Code officials protected sensitive ears from standard four-letter words, as well as a few five-letter words like tramp and six-letter words like cripes. They also scrubbed "excessively lustful" kissing from the screen and ensured that no criminal went unpunished.

During their review of Hitchcock's films, the censors demanded an average of 22.5 changes, ranging from the mundane to the mind-boggling, on each of his American films. Code reviewers dictated the ending of Rebecca (1940), absolved Cary Grant of guilt in Suspicion (1941), edited Cole Porter's lyrics in Stage Fright (1950), decided which shades should be drawn in Rear Window (1954), and shortened the shower scene in Psycho (1960). In Hitchcock and the Censors, author John Billheimer traces the forces that led to the Production Code and describes Hitchcock's interactions with code officials on a film-by-film basis as he fought to protect his creations, bargaining with code reviewers and sidestepping censorship to produce a lifetime of memorable films. Despite the often-arbitrary decisions of the code board, Hitchcock still managed to push the boundaries of sex and violence permitted in films by charming -- and occasionally tricking -- the censors and by swapping off bits of dialogue, plot points, and individual shots (some of which had been deliberately inserted as trading chips) to protect cherished scenes and images. By examining Hitchcock's priorities in dealing with the censors, this work highlights the director's theories of suspense as well as his magician-like touch when negotiating with code officials.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film

384 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2019

Reviews

[Chuck Pickerill · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much has been written about Alfred Hitchcock and his films, it's hard to envision what topics on Hitch have been overlooked. John Billheimer's "Hitchcock and the Censors" takes a look at Hitchcock's films specifically from the perspective of his dealing with the censors during production. This includes his dealings with the British Board of Film Censors when he was making films in England as well as the Hollywood Production Code. In addition to this, Billheimer devotes chapters to the rise of the code, how censorship differed in England, the decline of the code and rise of the rating system. The reader is provided this necessary context to help understand what censorship was required of filmmakers during Hitchcock's era.

When thinking of Hitchcock and censorship, several scenes may pop into your mind. "Hitchcock and the Censors" dives into every film Alfred Hitchcock made and also how censorship effected his television show. It is clear that Hitchcock was quite clever on how he approached his battles with the censors often putting things in the scripts or on film that he knew wouldn't pass. He would then trade those items for things he actually wanted to keep in a given film that might not have been allowed otherwise. In the book, the author makes the case that some of his films were improved as a result of the code while others lost something through censorship. Either way, I was engaged throughout the book fascinated by what issues drew the ire of these censorship boards. Interestingly, "profanity" and "immodest attire" were the most flagged items in his films throughout his career. "Hitchcock and the Censors" is a unique and interesting look at Hitchcock's work through the prism of censorship that is a worthy addition to your film book library.

[David Sterritt]

John Billheimer’s “Hitchcock and the Censors” is a run-through of the great filmmaker’s many skirmishes and squabbles with British and American censors, studio bosses, and government authorities over the course of his long and illustrious career, arguing that while numerous films were weakened by such nonsense, Hitchcock was a shrewd negotiator who often managed to outwit the foe. Billheimer has a weakness for repetition, and inaccuracies occur more often than they should (and of course they never should). That aside, it’s a readable volume and it’s nice to have this information gathered in one place. Interesting but lightweight.

[Anthony Conty · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Hitchcock and the Censors” by John Billheimer focuses on one of the greatest directors of his time and the hurdles he had to clear to make the review boards happy. In Great Britain, they mostly made political objections while America pushed morality more. He could not show a murderer without them receiving their comeuppance, nor could he portray Nazis as bad people, and the list went on and on.

Most Hollywood types remain well-versed in cinematic history but need to remind themselves how much editing the predecessors had to do. The guy who complains about male nudity needs to remember that Alfred could not even show a bathroom. It makes you appreciate what we currently have in cinema and thank your lucky stars if you can enjoy a movie without necessarily agreeing with everything it says.

After receiving admonition for the censor boards on numerous occasions, Hitchcock turned the give-and-take into a game, sacrificing frivolous scenes to get away with something more important to the plot. (Apparently, Trey Parker and Matt Stone do this dance regularly on “South Park.”) When you realize that they expected everyone to represent their race and religion as unflawed, a problem that came about with The Da Vinci Code, you know how they cannot accomplish this anymore.

The book then meanders into a discussion of how the “Production Code” would cease to exist, falling victim to the G, M (soon PG), R, and X system that we have grown to know and love. It makes you think about what some people consider censorship, and others see as a path to make them a few extra bucks at the box office. Hitchcock’s television stage faced similar challenges but mostly from sponsors.

If you have seen a fair number of his movies and source material (his kids’ series was the only thing I checked out of the library in 1986), you need to check this out. If you get through without wanting to see his movies again for a new film study, you are stronger than I am. Who knew that the most acclaimed suspense director of his generation had such a healthy negotiating gene and wry sense of humor?

[Adam‘’s book reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of Hitchcock and the Censors by John Billheimer

Hitchcock and the Censors offers a comprehensive look at how Alfred Hitchcock navigated the restrictions imposed by film censorship boards throughout his career. John Billheimer begins with a concise comparison of British and American censorship systems, setting the historical context from the 1920s to the 1960s. From there, the book shifts to a chronological study of Hitchcock’s major films, with each chapter focusing on the specific objections raised by censors and how the director addressed—or sidestepped—them.

Drawing on production records and correspondence, Billheimer shows how Hitchcock worked within strict guidelines while still pushing creative boundaries. The book pays particular attention to moments involving sexuality, violence, and moral ambiguity—areas where Hitchcock frequently met resistance. While the film-by-film format can feel formulaic at times, it effectively reveals patterns in both the objections raised and the strategies Hitchcock used in response.

I found this book both insightful and revealing. Billheimer doesn’t just recount battles with censors; he shows how those constraints shaped Hitchcock’s storytelling. I was impressed by the resourcefulness on display—how minor edits or framing choices allowed Hitchcock to say more with less. Although the structure became predictable, the cumulative effect is powerful: a portrait of a filmmaker who treated censorship not as a roadblock, but as a creative challenge. This would make an excellent resource for film students or anyone interested in how art adapts under pressure.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Billheimer argues that Alfred Hitchcock was adroit at manipulating the censors in England and the United States to create the films he had in mind. The screen image and story-telling montage were more important to him than the elements of plot and dialog. He would often make small compromises in dialogue and plot details to save montages that were crucial to him. In the shower scene in psycho, he removed one overhead shot that briefly showed one of Janet Leigh’s butt cheeks because it was the only shot in which all the censors could agree they saw unacceptable nudity. The shower scene itself was a breakthrough because, for most of his career, the code prevented Hitchcock from showing a toilet on screen. Billheimer suggests that though the code occasionally inspired Hitchcock to invent creative solutions that improved his filmmaking, most of the changes were silly and damaging. Hitchcock was never free from censorship. In England, the film board constrained political speech in films like The 39 Steps. During World War II, he had to run films by the War Office. Even after the code went away, he was constrained by the TV market. Billheimer provides introductory discussions of the code and film-by-film analysis. Although he provides brief plot summaries, Billheimer writes for those who have seen many of the films. 4 stars.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a film critic who has an abiding interest in Hitchcock and on the subject of film censorship -- having many books on both subjects -- this was an interesting look at his career as it was impacted by the Production Code. It's not a book I'd recommend as the FIRST to read on either subject, but I did find it engaging and informative, although I did find at least one glaring error, in which the author attributes the three-pronged test for obscenity first promulgated in a 1966 Supreme Court decision to the FCC in the 1950s. Having read a number of books on the Production Code and its effects, it was a worthwhile exercise to explore how one filmmaker dealt with the restrictions over the course of decades. Indeed, if someone did a similar study on Billy Wilder, I'd snap it up.

[Jim Davidson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A worthwhile read for serious Hitchcock fans

For those of us who love the films of Alfred Hitchcock, there are dozens of books on the subject of both the films and the director, and most of us have read many of them. This book covers a certain niche area of Hitchcock’s films which, while important, is also not terribly exciting. So it is a worthwhile read for those of us who have read everything, but not hugely important or significant. Yes, the censors had a big impact on some of Hitchcock’s films, but these areas have been covered before in other books. Still, it was a worthwhile read to me and I learned a few new things.

[Alec Cizak · Rating 5 out of 5]

An eye-opening book on just how much of a nuisance the Hays Code was to an artist like Alfred Hitchcock. The censors embraced the most prudish attitudes possible, making any discussion of adult issues in film nearly impossible. Billheimer explains how Hitchcock used intentionally irrelevant elements of his movies to bargain for the things he actually cared about. Well written and researched, this is a breeze and fun read at times, and frustrating when realizing how much the censors treated the general public like fragile, imbecilic children incapable of handling any serious subject matter.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

This book tells the story of how various production codes altered Hitchcock's movies...sometimes for the better, but mostly for the worse. Hitchcock was a master, however, at working around the codes, giving us such masterpieces as Psycho. A very interesting and enjoyable book.

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting concept, but there's only so many times I can read that the Production Code wanted foul language omitted from a movie, and the actress to be fully clothed in pajamas (as opposed to negligee). Didn't finish.

[Squintsquadknittr · Rating 4 out of 5]

The descriptions of midcentury blacklisting mirror exactly what is happening today...except now it’s coming from the other side.

[Malcolm Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much has already been written on this subject,so there is not a lot that is new to say about it.Still it is an interesting read,although I found the chapters on tv to be somewhat superfluous.

[Steve Shilstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have an Alfred Hitchcock shelf, this book deserves to be on it.