# Smooching in old flicks--explain!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smooching-in-old-flicks-explain/310540>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 30, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smooching-in-old-flicks-explain/310540 "2005-06-30T16:21:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2005, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smooching-in-old-flicks-explain/310540/41 "2005-07-04T09:26:32Z")

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You want awkward-looking kisses? The movies’ [first kiss](http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/papr:@filreq(@field(NUMBER+@band(edmp+4038))+@field(COLLID+edison))) looks like an unfortunate glue accident.

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**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2005, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smooching-in-old-flicks-explain/310540/42 "2005-07-04T14:25:46Z")

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> [@Guinastasia](#):
>
> Then why are there still black and white photos?

Because a lot of photographers are insane.

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**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\
**Post date:** [July 4, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smooching-in-old-flicks-explain/310540/43 "2005-07-04T14:42:56Z")

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> [@Walloon](#):
>
> The Production Code of 1930 lacked an effective enforcement mechanism until 1934, shortly after _It Happened One Night_ was released. Which is why the term “pre-Code” Hollywood really means “pre-Code enforcement.”

The star of that film, Clark Gable, had a favorite trick that he did to make the close-mouthed kisses of the time appear more passionate, tilting his head slightly to obscure the view of their mouths. As I’ve read, perhaps his co-stars should have been happy about the rules permitting open-mouthed kisses when Clark was their love interest: rumor has it he had _horrible_ breath.

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