Crime and Sexuality in the 1955 and 1981 Adaptations of John Steinbeck ’ s East of Eden
Censorship probably did not come into play as much with Hart ’ s television production , because the constraints of television had evolved over time . For example , during the 1970s , there was partial nudity in the landmark miniseries Roots , and the situation comedy Maude tackled abortion during a two-part episode that aired even before the Roe v . Wade decision ( Sarafino par . 37 ). However , in one scene of Hart ’ s miniseries , Jane Seymour , during her Golden Globe-winning performance as Cathy / Kate , “ gives birth to unwanted twins with such savagery that her screams had to be toned down for the network censors ” ( Calio 109 ). Sometimes advertisers object to television material . Concerned about gratuitous sex , violence , and profanity , Procter & Gamble , then television ’ s biggest sponsor , withdrew advertisements from more than fifty programs during the 1980 – 81 season , including East of Eden because they objected to the inclusion of the scene in which Cathy sleeps with her brother-in-law , Charles ( Gitlin 258 – 259 ).
In 2014 , it was announced that actress Jennifer Lawrence was going to star in not just one , but two movies adapted from Steinbeck ’ s novel , with writer-director Gary Ross at the helm ( Appelo par . 1 ). Lawrence had been nominated twice for an Academy Award , winning once , and was nominated for two other Oscars since then . Her 2018 film Red Sparrow marks the actress ’ s first onscreen nudity ( Fisher par . 2 ). Should these two productions of East of Eden come to fruition with Lawrence appearing as licentious Cathy / Kate , it will be interesting to see how the sexuality of the character is taken to another level .
CONCLUSION
Both Elia Kazan ’ s and Harvey Hart ’ s adaptations of John Steinbeck ’ s crime- and sexuality-ridden East of Eden move
157