Final answer:
The first major instance of censorship under the Production Code involved the film 'Baby Face' which was edited to meet the Hays Code requirements in 1933. The Hays Code represented the film industry's effort at self-censorship to avoid government intervention and was part of an evolution of censorship practices in various media forms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to the history of film and censorship, specifically concerning the first major instance of censorship under the Production Code. One film that encountered censorship under the Production Code was Baby Face (1933), which had to be edited in order to comply with the Hays Code's requirements to curtail sexually suggestive content. The Hays Code, also known as the Motion Picture Production Code, established moral guidelines for the motion picture industry. It was adopted in the early 1930s and represented the film industry's attempt at self-regulation to avoid governmental censorship.
Government censorship and controversies over freedom of expression have been an evolving challenge. During the Civil War, for instance, the Union post office practiced censorship by refusing to deliver newspapers with anti-war sentiments. Similarly, in the early 20th century, with the advent of photography and movies, new concerns over morality in media led to the establishment of state and federal censorship over lewd and otherwise improper content. Books and films with explicit references to sex or obscene language often faced government censorship.
In 1927, the State of New York took action against theater productions promoting homosexual content, a stance that was mirrored by the Hays Code regarding movies. Both book and magazine publishers also commonly abstained from printing positive portrayals of LGBTQ+ individuals due to fears of legal repercussions.