re. "blue movies "  re. history

Blue movies appear to be so named because of a connection between a wheat
fungus and the popularity of white flour when the process for making it was
perfected in the late 1800's.

Smut is a nasty fungus that grows on wheat in moist conditions.   The fungus
produces a lot of tiny dusty black spores when dry.

White flour became highly fashionable in the late Victorian era, and mills
used many white associations in brand names for their new product to help
sell it.   In 1891, our local newspaper had an article that said "People are
not at all pleased with flour from the local mills this year.  Due to all
the smut in the wheat fields, the flour has a bluish tinge."   When movies
came along just a tad later, in lily white society the familiar terms smut
and blue became linked, hence "smutty movies and blue movies".

cp back at the grind
in the old mill

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