697:
1085:
234:
During the same era, there were also periodic "purity campaigns" on radio, as individual stations decided to ban songs with double-entendres or alleged vulgar lyrics. One victim of such a campaign was bandleader Joe Rines who, in
November 1931, was cut off in mid-song by John L. Clark, program
239:, for performing a number called "This is the Missus", whose lyrics Clark deemed inappropriate. Rines was indignant, saying he believed Clark was over-reacting to a totally innocent song, but Clark insisted he was right to ban any song whose lyrics might be construed as suggestive.
173:
practices. Another was that the phrase "banned in Boston" became associated, in the popular mind, with something lurid, sexy, and naughty. Commercial distributors were often pleased when their works were banned in Boston—it gave them more appeal elsewhere. In 1961, singer/host
152:. Theatrical shows were run out of town, books were confiscated, and motion pictures were prevented from being shown; sometimes movies were stopped mid-showing, after an official had "seen enough". In 1935, for example, during the opening performance of
116:
carried with it an advertisement that Boston publishers had refused to print it out of fear of Mather. This advertisement caused such an uproar in Boston that many half-hearted denials by Boston printers were collected and printed by Mather's party.
147:
Following
Comstock's lead, Boston's city officials took it upon themselves to ban anything that they found to be salacious, inappropriate, or offensive. Aiding them in their efforts was a group of private citizens, the Boston
256:
and other cases curtailed the ability of municipalities to regulate the content of literature, plays, and movies. The last major literary censorship battle in the U.S. was fought over
262:, which was banned in Boston in 1965. Eventually the Watch and Ward Society changed its name to the New England Citizens Crime Commission, and made its main emphasis against
1023:
786:
105:, banned Pynchon's book and pressed him to return to England. He did so in 1652, which nearly caused Springfield to align with the nearby
43:. During this period, Boston officials had wide authority to ban works featuring "objectionable" content, and often banned works with
169:. One was that Boston, a cultural center since its founding, was perceived as less sophisticated than other cities without stringent
1182:
92:
1116:
1060:
925:
763:
199:. Though his case was dismissed by a local judge and he later won a lawsuit against the Watch and Ward Society for illegal
997:
20:
846:
546:
462:
141:
112:
This reputation persisted throughout the
Puritan era. In 1700 an objection to the religious doctrines of
1177:
498:
426:
195:
75:
31:
is a phrase that was employed from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century, to describe a
754:
Banned in Boston: The Watch and Ward
Society?s Crusade against Books, Burlesque, and the Social Evil
70:
Early instances of works being "banned in Boston" extend back at least to the year 1651. That year,
67:, began arriving in the 1820s and also held conservative moral beliefs, particularly regarding sex.
716:
252:
83:
79:
1187:
627:
604:
166:
1136:
1108:
1050:
917:
585:
210:
149:
811:
The
History of Printing in America: With a Biography of Printers, and an Account of Newspapers
809:
663:
592:
580:
356:
205:
48:
40:
644:
612:
534:
348:
120:
The phrase "banned in Boston", however, originated in the late 19th century at a time when
8:
616:
380:
1156:
1101:
910:
895:"Purity Crusade Cuts Rines Off". Springfield (MA) Republican, November 25, 1931, p. 8.
752:
522:
510:
438:
392:
312:
305:
293:
200:
193:
was arrested in Boston in 1926, after purposely selling a banned issue of his magazine
106:
561:
1112:
1056:
921:
759:
568:
491:
486:
479:
361:
329:
227:
218:
179:
158:
1148:
710:
623:
539:
515:
455:
443:
397:
385:
125:
886:"Strange Interlude Forbidden in Boston". Boston Herald, September 17, 1929, p. 1.
668:
675:
597:
551:
431:
281:
247:
214:
113:
71:
865:
573:
503:
419:
409:
373:
324:
222:
153:
133:
64:
44:
36:
213:, was also banned by the Watch and Ward Society, and, in 1929, Boston's mayor
1171:
1077:
474:
450:
341:
300:
190:
121:
63:, who held strict moral standards. Boston's second major wave of immigrants,
656:
527:
368:
286:
243:
175:
137:
680:
639:
467:
317:
258:
183:
1160:
850:
702:
651:
170:
87:
39:, or play which had been prohibited from distribution or exhibition in
32:
336:
102:
1152:
696:
1103:
Freedom and
Entertainment: Rating the Movies in an Age of New Media
263:
236:
60:
98:
140:, which prevented obscene materials from being delivered by the
267:
132:. He found widespread support in Boston, particularly among
404:
136:
officials. Comstock was also known as the proponent of the
129:
96:. Boston, founded by Puritans and, at that time ruled as a
203:, the effort did little to affect censorship in Boston.
178:
recorded a novelty song, "Banned in Boston," written by
51:
featuring allegorical figures that were partially nude.
49:$ 5 bill from the 1896 "Educational" series of banknotes
634:
In four final cases the bans were overturned in court:
1052:
Colorado Rocks!: A Half-century of Music in
Colorado
692:
16:
Phrase used to describe a work prohibited in Boston
1139:(1963). "Boston Book Censorship in the Twenties".
1100:
909:
907:
787:"Springfield's 375th: From Puritans to presidents"
751:
1169:
209:, the novel of forbidden interracial romance by
59:Boston was founded in the early 17th century by
866:"Mass Moments: H.L. Mencken Arrested in Boston"
1098:
779:
162:, four cast members were placed under arrest.
1135:
1024:"The Everly Brothers, 'Wake Up Little Susie'"
992:
990:
988:
986:
984:
982:
980:
978:
976:
974:
972:
970:
968:
966:
964:
962:
960:
868:. Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities
860:
858:
47:or foul language. This even extended to the
958:
956:
954:
952:
950:
948:
946:
944:
942:
940:
827:
745:
743:
741:
739:
737:
735:
733:
855:
823:
821:
937:
903:
901:
730:
296:' Silver Certificate (1893, issued 1896)
78:—Massachusetts' great settlement in the
1088:from the original on December 21, 2014.
1078:"The politics of pornography in Boston"
836:
818:
93:The Meritorious Price of Our Redemption
1170:
1107:. Cambridge University Press. p.
1075:
916:. Greenwood Publishing Group. p.
898:
807:
749:
1055:. Pruett Publishing. pp. 1963–.
1048:
830:The American Women's Rights Movement
814:. J. Munsell, printer. p. 291.
13:
1129:
998:"Books and plays banned in Boston"
14:
1199:
1076:Taylor, Robert (August 3, 1969).
750:Miller, Neil (October 13, 2010).
82:—and the former treasurer of the
21:Banned in Boston (disambiguation)
695:
1183:Censorship in the United States
1092:
1069:
1042:
1016:
912:Masterpieces of Beat Literature
273:
1028:500 Greatest Songs of All Time
889:
880:
801:
1:
932:banned in boston naked lunch.
723:
463:The World of William Clissold
186:, which became a modest hit.
128:began a campaign to suppress
7:
908:Michael J. Dittman (2007).
789:. MassLive.com. May 9, 2011
688:
217:and the city censor banned
86:, wrote a book criticizing
10:
1204:
165:This movement had several
76:Springfield, Massachusetts
54:
18:
717:Memoirs v. Massachusetts
253:Memoirs v. Massachusetts
84:Massachusetts Bay Colony
80:Connecticut River Valley
1099:Stephen Vaughn (2006).
808:Thomas, Isaiah (1874).
628:the Serendipity Singers
518:(magazine serial, 1929)
499:Lady Chatterley's Lover
270:and far less on media.
167:unintended consequences
352:(magazine, April 1926)
150:Watch and Ward Society
664:I Am Curious (Yellow)
357:Desire Under the Elms
41:Boston, Massachusetts
645:William S. Burroughs
613:Wake Up Little Susie
349:The American Mercury
196:The American Mercury
19:For other uses, see
617:The Everly Brothers
547:The Children's Hour
381:An American Tragedy
246:(1953–69) expanded
1141:American Quarterly
1049:Brown, G. (2004).
828:Paul D. Buchanan.
523:Jews without Money
511:A Farewell to Arms
427:Manhattan Transfer
393:The Sun Also Rises
306:Giovanni Boccaccio
294:Educational Series
201:restraint of trade
107:Connecticut Colony
29:"Banned in Boston"
1178:History of Boston
1118:978-0-521-85258-6
1062:978-0-87108-930-4
927:978-0-313-33283-8
765:978-0-8070-5113-9
569:Waiting for Lefty
535:God's Little Acre
487:Strange Interlude
480:Sherwood Anderson
330:Sherwood Anderson
228:Strange Interlude
180:Clint Ballard Jr.
159:Waiting for Lefty
74:, the founder of
1195:
1164:
1123:
1122:
1106:
1096:
1090:
1089:
1082:The Boston Globe
1073:
1067:
1066:
1046:
1040:
1039:
1037:
1035:
1020:
1014:
1013:
1011:
1009:
994:
935:
934:
915:
905:
896:
893:
887:
884:
878:
877:
875:
873:
862:
853:
843:The Comstock Act
840:
834:
833:
825:
816:
815:
805:
799:
798:
796:
794:
783:
777:
776:
774:
772:
758:. Beacon Press.
757:
747:
711:Streisand effect
705:
700:
699:
624:Beans in My Ears
605:The Moon Is Blue
558:Within the Gates
540:Erskine Caldwell
516:Ernest Hemingway
456:Carl Van Vechten
444:William Faulkner
398:Ernest Hemingway
386:Theodore Dreiser
189:Literary figure
126:Anthony Comstock
1203:
1202:
1198:
1197:
1196:
1194:
1193:
1192:
1168:
1167:
1153:10.2307/2710264
1132:
1130:Further reading
1127:
1126:
1119:
1097:
1093:
1074:
1070:
1063:
1047:
1043:
1033:
1031:
1030:. Rolling Stone
1022:
1021:
1017:
1007:
1005:
996:
995:
938:
928:
906:
899:
894:
890:
885:
881:
871:
869:
864:
863:
856:
841:
837:
826:
819:
806:
802:
792:
790:
785:
784:
780:
770:
768:
766:
748:
731:
726:
701:
694:
691:
686:
598:Kathleen Winsor
552:Lillian Hellman
432:John Dos Passos
282:Leaves of Grass
276:
248:civil liberties
215:Malcolm Nichols
124:moral crusader
114:Increase Mather
72:William Pynchon
65:Irish Catholics
57:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1201:
1191:
1190:
1188:Prohibitionism
1185:
1180:
1166:
1165:
1131:
1128:
1125:
1124:
1117:
1091:
1068:
1061:
1041:
1015:
936:
926:
897:
888:
879:
854:
835:
817:
800:
778:
764:
728:
727:
725:
722:
721:
720:
713:
707:
706:
690:
687:
685:
684:
672:
660:
648:
632:
631:
620:
609:
601:
589:
577:
574:Clifford Odets
565:
555:
543:
531:
519:
507:
504:D. H. Lawrence
495:
492:Eugene O'Neill
483:
471:
459:
447:
435:
423:
420:Julia Peterkin
413:
410:Upton Sinclair
401:
389:
377:
374:Sinclair Lewis
365:
362:Eugene O'Neill
353:
345:
333:
325:Many Marriages
321:
309:
297:
290:
277:
275:
272:
225:-winning play
223:Pulitzer Prize
219:Eugene O'Neill
154:Clifford Odets
56:
53:
45:sexual content
37:motion picture
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1200:
1189:
1186:
1184:
1181:
1179:
1176:
1175:
1173:
1162:
1158:
1154:
1150:
1146:
1142:
1138:
1137:Paul S. Boyer
1134:
1133:
1120:
1114:
1110:
1105:
1104:
1095:
1087:
1083:
1079:
1072:
1064:
1058:
1054:
1053:
1045:
1029:
1025:
1019:
1004:. NY Times Co
1003:
999:
993:
991:
989:
987:
985:
983:
981:
979:
977:
975:
973:
971:
969:
967:
965:
963:
961:
959:
957:
955:
953:
951:
949:
947:
945:
943:
941:
933:
929:
923:
919:
914:
913:
904:
902:
892:
883:
867:
861:
859:
852:
848:
844:
839:
832:. p. 75.
831:
824:
822:
813:
812:
804:
788:
782:
767:
761:
756:
755:
746:
744:
742:
740:
738:
736:
734:
729:
719:
718:
714:
712:
709:
708:
704:
698:
693:
682:
678:
677:
673:
670:
669:Vilgot Sjöman
666:
665:
661:
658:
654:
653:
649:
646:
642:
641:
637:
636:
635:
629:
625:
621:
618:
614:
610:
607:
606:
602:
599:
595:
594:
593:Forever Amber
590:
587:
586:Lillian Smith
583:
582:
581:Strange Fruit
578:
575:
571:
570:
566:
563:
559:
556:
553:
549:
548:
544:
541:
537:
536:
532:
529:
525:
524:
520:
517:
513:
512:
508:
505:
501:
500:
496:
493:
489:
488:
484:
481:
477:
476:
475:Dark Laughter
472:
469:
465:
464:
460:
457:
453:
452:
451:Nigger Heaven
448:
445:
441:
440:
436:
433:
429:
428:
424:
421:
417:
414:
411:
407:
406:
402:
399:
395:
394:
390:
387:
383:
382:
378:
375:
371:
370:
366:
363:
359:
358:
354:
351:
350:
346:
343:
342:Aldous Huxley
339:
338:
334:
331:
327:
326:
322:
319:
315:
314:
310:
307:
303:
302:
301:The Decameron
298:
295:
291:
288:
284:
283:
279:
278:
271:
269:
265:
261:
260:
255:
254:
249:
245:
240:
238:
232:
230:
229:
224:
220:
216:
212:
211:Lillian Smith
208:
207:
206:Strange Fruit
202:
198:
197:
192:
191:H. L. Mencken
187:
185:
181:
177:
172:
168:
163:
161:
160:
155:
151:
145:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
123:
118:
115:
110:
108:
104:
101:
100:
95:
94:
89:
85:
81:
77:
73:
68:
66:
62:
52:
50:
46:
42:
38:
34:
30:
26:
22:
1144:
1140:
1102:
1094:
1081:
1071:
1051:
1044:
1034:December 30,
1032:. Retrieved
1027:
1018:
1008:December 30,
1006:. Retrieved
1001:
931:
911:
891:
882:
870:. Retrieved
842:
838:
829:
810:
803:
791:. Retrieved
781:
769:. Retrieved
753:
715:
674:
662:
657:John Cleland
650:
638:
633:
630:(song, 1964)
619:(song, 1957)
603:
591:
579:
576:(play, 1935)
567:
564:(play, 1935)
562:Seán O'Casey
557:
554:(play, 1934)
545:
533:
528:Michael Gold
521:
509:
497:
494:(play, 1929)
485:
473:
461:
449:
437:
425:
415:
403:
391:
379:
369:Elmer Gantry
367:
364:(play, 1926)
355:
347:
335:
323:
311:
299:
287:Walt Whitman
280:
274:Works banned
257:
251:
244:Warren Court
241:
235:director of
233:
226:
204:
194:
188:
176:Merv Griffin
164:
157:
146:
138:Comstock Act
119:
111:
97:
91:
69:
58:
35:work, song,
28:
27:
25:
1147:(1): 3–24.
681:Tinto Brass
640:Naked Lunch
468:H. G. Wells
416:Black April
318:Elinor Glyn
313:Three Weeks
259:Naked Lunch
184:Fred Tobias
134:upper-class
1172:Categories
1002:boston.com
793:August 19,
724:References
703:Law portal
652:Fanny Hill
439:Mosquitoes
171:censorship
88:Puritanism
872:April 21,
771:March 27,
337:Antic Hay
142:U.S. mail
103:theocracy
90:entitled
1086:Archived
845:17
689:See also
676:Caligula
264:gambling
122:American
61:Puritans
33:literary
1161:2710264
250:and in
156:' play
99:de jure
55:History
1159:
1115:
1059:
924:
849:
762:
683:(1979)
671:(1967)
659:(1966)
647:(1965)
608:(1953)
600:(1944)
542:(1933)
530:(1930)
506:(1929)
482:(1927)
470:(1927)
458:(1927)
446:(1927)
434:(1927)
422:(1927)
412:(1927)
400:(1927)
388:(1927)
376:(1927)
344:(1923)
332:(1923)
320:(1909)
308:(1894)
292:"$ 5 '
289:(1881)
1157:JSTOR
847:Stat.
626:" by
615:" by
268:drugs
1113:ISBN
1057:ISBN
1036:2012
1010:2012
922:ISBN
874:2007
795:2011
773:2013
760:ISBN
588:1944
405:Oil!
266:and
242:The
182:and
130:vice
1149:doi
851:598
679:by
667:by
655:by
643:by
596:by
584:by
572:by
560:by
550:by
538:by
526:by
514:by
502:by
490:by
478:by
466:by
454:by
442:by
430:by
418:by
408:by
396:by
384:by
372:by
360:by
340:by
328:by
316:by
304:by
285:by
237:WBZ
221:'s
1174::
1155:.
1145:15
1143:.
1111:.
1109:74
1084:.
1080:.
1026:.
1000:.
939:^
930:.
920:.
918:94
900:^
857:^
820:^
732:^
231:.
144:.
109:.
1163:.
1151::
1121:.
1065:.
1038:.
1012:.
876:.
797:.
775:.
622:"
611:"
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.