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The Outlaw (1943): The Howard Hughes film that challenged the Hays Code
Many movies of the '30s and '40s troubled the Motion Picture Production Code but none quite as much as the sexed-up western The Outlaw. Bankrolled by eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, this melodrama had its release delayed for years thanks to Jane Russell's cleavage. Hughes' salacious marketing campaign and refusal to excise any controversial shots fueled the fires. Although first screened for the Hays Office in 1941, The Outlaw didn't get wide release until 1946 (and without a seal of approval even then).
The Outlaw, Jane Russell, 1943. Courtesy of the Everett Collection.
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