The Code was adopted by The Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America who were trying to prevent government censorship of the medium. Until the late 1960's the code was to dramatically restrict the depiction of sex, crime, religion, violence, and other controversial subjects.

The Production Code demanded that no film should:

"lower the standards of those who see it. Hence, the sympathy of the audience should never be thrown to the side of crime, wrongdoing, evil, or sin."

Illegal drug trafficking, "sex perversion", profanity, clergy members as comic characters / villains, and the portrayal of interracial relationships were all banned.

The Code would be amended to allow more sexual content in 1966, but restricted violence further. The movie rating system, which abolished the code, began in 1968.