Then, in 1968, the modern voluntary movie rating system was born.
The Hays Code, which remained in place for nearly 40 years, was incredibly strict with rules like “films can only present correct standards of life,” “crime and immorality could never be portrayed in a positive light,” and “religion could never be depicted in a mocking manner.” This governing body would go on to create the moral censorship guidelines, or the Hays Code, as it was often referred to, which provided regulations about the types of content that could or could not be shown on screen. For example, in 1922, in the early days of studios, William Hays formed the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America. Things in the motion picture industry have changed dramatically since those early days, including how we rate films.
By the early 20th century the motion-picture industry as we know it today was beginning to emerge. As technology quickly advanced, the demand for more moving pictures, longer in length, and with more elaborate story lines, increased. The earliest movies, some only mere seconds long, were made in the last decade of the 19th century after Thomas Edison invented the kinetoscope.
