My current work project started as, "I want to explain to people what the Hays Code is," and it rapidly became, "I cannot explain the Hays Code to you until after we have discussed B.F. Keith's policy for all vaudeville performances hosted in his chain of theaters."
I still have twenty-three texts about vaudeville that I need to finish reading, all before I even get to my readings about Thomas Edison, the Lumiere Brothers, W.K.L. Dickson, and all the other people who are wrapped up in the development of film technology.
We'll get to the Hays Code eventually, I swear. 😭