Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: What Was Movie #40000?

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Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 11-18-2003, 11:45 AM:

I'm one that likes to stay for the credits. [Smile]

I've often noticed the number above the MPAA logo was getting around 39900 and started to pay attention. Bruce Almighty and Hulk were still in the 39000 range, but Pirates is 400XX.

So what was movie #40000? And does anyone know of the other "MPAA Number Milestones" like #1, #100, #10000, etc? Is there somewhere online with the complete list?

This should be a fun thread. [Smile]

=TMP=

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 11-18-2003, 04:54 PM:

i remember noticing that the horse whisperer was 37000. the french also have a numbering scheme, i think only for french movies, called "visa d'exploitation" or something like that. i think the british censor certificates are numbered too, but we rarely get to see those over here.

carl

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 11-18-2003, 06:40 PM:

quote:
And does anyone know of the other "MPAA Number Milestones" like #1, #100, #10000, etc? Is there somewhere online with the complete list?

I have a 1968 'GMRX' MPAA ratings explanation trailer, and at the very end of it there is the MPAA logo with serial #000001 below it.

Unless the number was used as an 'example' I would say that that might be the '#1' on that list.

I figure you could find the nubers somewhere in the bowels of the MPAA's website .

-Aaron

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 11-18-2003, 07:24 PM:

THose logo's are put in a movies credits when ever a movie is rated. I don't think they are used on unrated films. So what ever film has the #1 or #2 would most likely be the first film ever rated. Although that symbal is a seal code and was establishe in 1967 but the established ratings system did not come into use until 1968. I looked this information up in a comptons yearbook issues from the late 60's. I couldn't find a listing for the first movie rated or to receive the seal of aproval.

Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 11-18-2003, 08:12 PM:

Is the MPAA number a continuation of the Production Code Administration ("The Hays Office") certification number which began in 1934? Baby Take a Bow has PCA cert no. 3.

Field Guide To Titles And Credits

quote:
MPAA (MPPDA) Numbers
Otherwise known as the "Hays Office" (made mention of in one early 40's cartoon), the Motion Picture Producers And Distributors Of America issued numbered "approval certificates" for each film submitted to its office beginning in 1934, and complying films could show the MPPDA seal and certificate number. Warner Bros. cartoons, like the rest of the film industry, originally used a "pre-title" which showed a large MPPDA seal in the background and usually contained a statement such as "THIS MOTION PICTURE HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE MOTION PICTURE PRODUCERS AND DISTRIBUTORS OF AMERICA - CERTIFICATE NO. 95". (The actual MPPDA number for The Girl At The Ironing Board, one of the first WB cartoons to carry the seal.) Eventually proving cumbersome, the H.O. soon allowed producers to incorporate just the seal and certificate number into the titles the film itself. There are but a few WB cartoons whose MPAA (the name was changed in 1945 to Motion Picture Association Of America) numbers do not show on screen such as The Wearing Of The Grin, Hare Lift, Person To Bunny, Hyde And Go Tweet, and Pappy's Puppy. These shorts will be noted and research is ongoing to attempt to unearth the numbers.

I also searched "The American Film Institute Catalog 1961-1970" (ISBN 0-913616-45-1). The two earliest feature releases with MPAA ratings that I found are Who's That Knocking at My Door? (1968 September 08) and Duffy (1968 September 16).

[ 11-18-2003, 10:00 PM: Message edited by: Jeffry L. Johnson ]

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 11-18-2003, 09:59 PM:

quote:
This numbering system actually began to be used onscreen in 1943 (at which time WB ceased assigning "Vitaphone numbers" as the entire industry converted successfully to optical sound on film),

Sounds like he's guessing on a lot of that info. Discs were out by the early 30s.

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 11-18-2003, 10:17 PM:

quote:
I also searched "The American Film Institute Catalog 1961-1970" (ISBN 0-913616-45-1). The two earliest feature releases with MPAA ratings that I found are Who's That Knocking at My Door? (1968 September 08) and Duffy (1968 September 16).

The following is a quote from the mpaa web site mentioned above. According to it the films mentioned above could not have received those ratings unless they were re-released after the start af the ratings usage.

My first move was to abolish the old and decaying Hays Production Code. I did that immediately. Then on November 1, 1968, we announced the birth of the new voluntary film rating system of the motion picture industry, with three organizations, NATO, MPAA, and IFIDA, as its monitoring and guiding groups.

The initial design called for four rating categories:

G for General Audiences, all ages admitted;

M for mature audiences - parental guidance suggested, but all ages admitted;

R for Restricted, children under 16 would not be admitted without an accompanying parent or adult guardian; (later raised to under 17 years of age, (and varies in some jurisdictions));

X for no one under 17 admitted.

The rating system trademarked all the category symbols, except the X. Under the plan, anyone not submitting his or her film for rating could self apply the X or any other symbol or description, except those trademarked by the rating program.

Our original plan had been to use only three rating categories, ending with R. It was my view that parents ought to be able to accompany their children to any movie the parents choose, without the movie industry or the government or self-appointed groups interfering with their rights. But NATO urged the creation of an adults only category, fearful of possible legal redress under state or local law. I acquiesced in NATO's reasoning and the four category system, including the X rating, was installed.

Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 11-19-2003, 07:16 AM:

The first movie to carry an MPAA rating was Bonnie and Clyde (1967), rated 'M' for Mature Audiences. I remember as a very young man helping to erect the MPAA 'rating explanation' standees in the lobby of the Colonial Theatre in my hometown, all the while thinking to myself that my movie going would be drastically curtailed by my parents if it caught on.

Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 11-19-2003, 09:53 AM:

Actually, Bonnie and Clyde featured an S.M.A. (Suggested for Mature Audiences) tag next to the seal of approval). The MPAA didn't introduce it's rating system (G, M, R, X) until October 1, 1968.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 11-19-2003, 03:11 PM:

I think Thomas has too much time on his hands. Can we find something for him to do?

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 11-19-2003, 05:48 PM:

Here's an idea ... take some theater photos for the Film-Tech Warehouse and for Cinematour! And while you're out, stalk a few members for their member photos as well. [Smile]

Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 11-19-2003, 09:48 PM:

filmratings.com states that Bonnie and Clyde was rated in 1969.

If you search on "1968", this will return all films rated in 1968. Searching on "1967" returns nothing.

I don't have an answer about the entries in the AFI catalog. Does anyone know when the MPAA started screening films for ratings? Did everything start in 1968 November or was the public announcement date after screenings for ratings began? I can only suggest checking newspaper listings to try to identify or confirm the first MPAA rated release.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 11-21-2003, 04:35 AM:

Perhaps #40000 hasn't hit theatres yet. Crap in the Hat, relesed today, is only number 39519.