Miserable censors slashed and mutilated some of Cole Porter's choicest lyrics so as not to offend an adult audience who had just recently fought and won World War Two but were considered too delicate for even mild sexual innuendos.
shareThe Production Code caused many films to be compromised because of their adulr or moral content.
Porter's lyrics had always been very adult and, when not filled with double-entendres or innuendo, were unashamedly, even blatantly up-front in their sophistication: "Love For Sale" could not be played on the radio for many years, and "I Get a Kick Out of You" wasn't, either, until the line"Some get a kick from cocaine" was given alternates such as "Some like the perfume from Spain."
"Forget it, Jake. It's the internet."
Not just Porter. Think what the movie version of Brigadoon did to dilute both Meg's unbridled sex life and her illegitimacy. And the movie version of Oklahoma definitely toned down Ado Annie.
I'd like to be a pessimist, but this is a luxury I cannot afford.—Joseph of Cordoba
I think changing "powders her God damned nose" to "blasted nose" weakens the song quite a bit.
shareAt least, "If she says your behavior is heinous, kick her right in the Coriolanus" made it through.
shareAfter the 1952 Supreme Court ruling why didn't they just ignore the Production Code - especially as the audience had lived through a world war and had presumably heard all four letter words?
shareYet in 2023 revivals of musicals from the 50's, 60's and 70's and even Shakespeare must have trigger warning, which is modern censorship.
https://richardzoglin.com/2022/10/21/broadways-trigger-warnings-how-safe-is-too-safe/