Prelude: Production Code and "The Pawnbroker" (03:00)

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The Production Code awards the Seal of Approval to Sidney Lumet's "The Pawnbroker," even though the film is in direct violation of the Code. The Legion of Decency gave the film a Condemned rating, and soon closes forever.

Film Industry: Revised Code (02:49)

In 1966, Jack Valenti announces a new code inspired by the principles of self-discipline and creative discretion. He recommended that certain films carry this: "Suggested for mature audiences." "The Graduate" takes aim at the Establishment.

MGM Circumvents the Production Code (02:50)

"Blow-Up" elicits a storm of protest over its blatant presentation of sexuality and frontal nudity. MGM was prohibited from releasing the film without MPAA approval, but it found a way to bypass regulations.

Benchmark Directors of Sexy Cinema (03:06)

In 1967, Warren Beatty ushered in a new era of boldness with "Bonnie and Clyde." French director Roger Vadim was known as the Svengali of continental sex symbols. Excerpts from "Barbarella" are included in this segment.

American Cinema Flooded with Continental Productions (02:12)

After Roger Vadim, other directors pushed the limits of screen sex. Excerpts from "I, a Woman," show just how far. America's mainstream cinemas had become a melting pot of international productions. " I Am Curious (Yellow)" went farther than most films.

Final Taboo for American Cinema (02:39)

Ken Russell's "Women in Love" crossed the line for movie viewers by showing full frontal male nudity. By 1968, screen nudity was as "common as blowing your nose." The concept of a guide to movie morality was obsolete. The Production Code is abandoned.

First "X" Rated Film: "Midnight Cowboy" (04:01)

A letter classification system rated moves as G, M, R, and X to take the place of the Production Code. The first film to get a "X" rating was "Midnight Cowboy." Excerpts from the film are included in this segment.

Marketing the "X" Rating at 20th Century Fox (03:26)

"Myra Breckinridge" was an attempt to come to to life the outrageous parody the changing aspects of human sexuality. The same year, Russ Meyers produced the skin flick "Vixen," on which he had a profit margin of 20,000%. His next sex-ploitation big-budget film was "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls."

American in the 1970s: Dazed and Confused (02:49)

The idealism of the 1960s was over, and in its place rose cynicism. From California to Washington DC, the Vietnam War divided American people. "Easy Rider" convinced most young Americans that "looking for America" was a futile journey.

Cinema and Sexual Revolution in the 1970s (02:35)

Two of the most important films of the early 1970s, "Carnal Knowledge" and "Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice," pushed the limits of the sexual revolution. President Nixon vows to uphold standards on smut and pornography.

Graphic Sexual Violence in the Cinema (03:19)

Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" was a devastating argument for the preservation of mankind's free will--even to do wrong. No other film had portrayed sexual violence in such a graphic manner.

Sexually Explicit Blockbuster (02:43)

"Deep Throat" was the nation's first sexually explicit blockbuster. After that, Americans flocked to pornographic films to see what they had been missing all those years.

Sexual Revolution and Pornographic Film Industry (03:02)

For millions of women in the 1970s, Hollywood's exploitation of women was no laughing matter. "Last Tango in Paris" was the last studio release to carry the "X" rating. Pornographic filmmakers marketed the "X" rating for their films.

President Nixon Goes After Pornography (04:03)

President Nixon continues to battle pornography by endorsing a bill on federal censorship. Conservative legislators, the FBI, and local police band together to stop smut by raiding theaters and confiscating films.

America's Promiscuous Singles Scene (03:47)

In the mid-1970s, Nixon resigned, and lounges were filled with young people dancing to disco beats, while numbing themselves with quaaludes. "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" is a peak into a culture where people desperately wanted to feel alive.

Child Pornography (02:43)

The subject of "Pretty Baby" is child prostitution, starring 12-year-old Brooke Shields. The film was condemned even before it was released. The first sex symbol of the 1980s is Bo Derek, symbol of America's search for perfection.

Casual Sex and Film Industry Appeals to Teenagers (02:05)

Despite President Reagan's conservative America, casual sex was the order of the day in middle America. Hollywood began to structure its industry around teenagers.

Unsafe Sex in America (03:09)

As the AIDS epidemic grew, promiscuity began to fall out of fashion in the U.S. In its place came celibacy, phone sex, and cinematic voyeurism. Excerpts from "Blue Velvet" and "Fatal Attraction" are included in this segment.

Film Rating Systems Adds New Rating (03:01)

The "X" rating became universally associated with pornography and most newspapers censored films with an X-rating. Filmmakers wanted a rating that would relate to mature audiences and adult entertainment. In 1990, NC-17 rating was adopted in place of X-rating.

Film Rating: NC-17 (02:53)

The ratings controversy came to a head over "Basic Instinct." The NC-17 rating was the commercial kiss of death, so the director re-edited the film. This rating is still rejected by newspapers and box offices.