Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society Hollywood's Shocking First Sex Symbols
Mar 20, 2026
Mick LaSalle, journalist and author known for film criticism and books on early Hollywood, shares stories about pre-code stars like Norma Shearer. He explores how early films felt unexpectedly sexual and why empowered women provoked censorship. He traces the rise of the Hayes Code and how it erased bold portrayals of female sexuality from mainstream screens.
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Pre-Code Hollywood Made Sex Positive For Women
- Pre-code Hollywood (late 1920s–mid 1934) featured candid, modern portrayals of sexual women that surprised later audiences.
- Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo and Jean Harlow led films showing premarital sex, adultery and sexual agency before censorship tightened.
How A Cat And One Film Sparked A Book
- Mick LaSalle discovered Norma Shearer after avoiding her films because of negative obituaries and criticism.
- He watched The Divorcee with a nervous cat and was shocked by its daring tone, sparking his book project.
Some Risqué Films Survived Because They Were Uneditable
- Some pre-code films survived uncut because censors deemed them uneditable, leaving intact the risqué original versions.
- Baby Face's original print surfaced in 2003, restoring scenes (like a train sex scene) removed earlier for New York censors.