Transgressive Female Characters During the Hays Code Era

How feminist concerns were smuggled into classic movies under the nose of moral guardians

Double Indemnity (1944). Credit: Paramount

Warning: Contains some spoilers.

No kissing for more than three seconds. Separate beds for men and women, even if married. The notorious one-foot-on-the-floor rule. All these were precepts of the Hays Code; a morality guideline for what could be depicted onscreen in Hollywood films. The Code was rigidly adhered t…