![Paul Muni ‘Scarface: The Shame Of The Nation’ (1932)
feastingonroadkill:
Some interesting asides for media and cultural historian types via filmsite.org here
“To give the violent, tragi-comedy film respectability, to de-glamorize the folk-hero nature of the gangster, and to appease the forces of censorship, a number of restrictions or changes were imposed before the film could be released with the MPAA seal of approval:
an added sub-title was required [its original title was simply Scarface, and the first suggested retitle was The Menace] to illustrate that the film was not a glorification, but an indictment of gangsterism
an apologetic, moral statement was tacked to the beginning of the film
various cuts, erasures, voice-overs and changes were made throughout
Tony Camonte’s mother was shown expressing disapproval of her son’s behavior - she calls him “bad” and “no-good”
although there are almost 30 deaths in the film, blood is never shown, and even more deaths occur off-screen
moralistic, denunciatory speeches, in a prologue and epilogue, were added by a Chief of Detectives and a newspaper publisher (several scenes were directed by Richard Rosson),
“the public” is blamed for the existence of gangs, rather than law enforcement officials: “Don’t blame the police. They can’t stop machine guns from being run back and forth across the state lines. They can’t enforce laws that don’t exist”
an alternative, moralistic, sermonizing (and emasculated) second ending (substituted for the shootout) was created to condemn the gangster as cowardly and show his sentencing and retributory punishment (hanging) by an effective justice system
muted hints of an incestuous attachment between the main protagonist and his sister, one of the film’s sub-themes, supposedly went uncontested, or the most obvious references to incest were removed by Hawks himself”](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kpv90mmRZL1qz4jelo1_500.jpg)
Paul Muni ‘Scarface: The Shame Of The Nation’ (1932)
2 years ago • 9 notesSome interesting asides for media and cultural historian types via filmsite.org here
“To give the violent, tragi-comedy film respectability, to de-glamorize the folk-hero nature of the gangster, and to appease the forces of censorship, a number of restrictions or changes were imposed before the film could be released with the MPAA seal of approval:
- an added sub-title was required [its original title was simply Scarface, and the first suggested retitle was The Menace] to illustrate that the film was not a glorification, but an indictment of gangsterism
- an apologetic, moral statement was tacked to the beginning of the film
- various cuts, erasures, voice-overs and changes were made throughout
- Tony Camonte’s mother was shown expressing disapproval of her son’s behavior - she calls him “bad” and “no-good”
- although there are almost 30 deaths in the film, blood is never shown, and even more deaths occur off-screen
- moralistic, denunciatory speeches, in a prologue and epilogue, were added by a Chief of Detectives and a newspaper publisher (several scenes were directed by Richard Rosson),
- “the public” is blamed for the existence of gangs, rather than law enforcement officials: “Don’t blame the police. They can’t stop machine guns from being run back and forth across the state lines. They can’t enforce laws that don’t exist”
- an alternative, moralistic, sermonizing (and emasculated) second ending (substituted for the shootout) was created to condemn the gangster as cowardly and show his sentencing and retributory punishment (hanging) by an effective justice system
- muted hints of an incestuous attachment between the main protagonist and his sister, one of the film’s sub-themes, supposedly went uncontested, or the most obvious references to incest were removed by Hawks himself”
