Unlike today's ratings system that just puts ratings on films, the Hays Code actually laid out what could and could not be depicted on screen. If a film wasn't approved by Mr. Hays, it could not be released. If the film didn't meet with his approval, he would explicitly tell the filmmakers what had to be changed to get the movie certified. For this service, Mr. Hays was amazingly paid $100,000 a year. That was in 1930's dollars, which meant he was making a staggering sum of over $1,000,000 in today's dollars. Mr. Hayes became the highest paid and most despised man in Hollywood. Directors would chafe at his requirements and try to come up with ways to work around his strict code. Mr. Hays would rule Hollywood like a tyrant for almost thirty years; in fact, he was almost entirely responsible for Mae West's early retirement. His kingdom was on shaky ground by the time he passed away. Times were changing, and with television threatening theaters, the studios needed to produce entertainment on the big screen that couldn't be seen at home on television. The changing landscape led to the collapse of the Hays Code and the adoption of the current ratings system.
