From the AFI Catalog for this film under the History tab: A 21 Nov 1958 memo in the PCA file specifies that [George] Shurlock considered the film’s first draft to be in violation of the Code. In response (and in accordance with Lancaster’s age), according to a modern interview with Brooks, the writer-director adapted the story to focus on Gantry’s middle years, changed Falconer into a sincerely religious figure, converted Jim Lefferts from a seminary student to an atheist reporter, and most importantly, portrayed Gantry as not an ordained minister. This change sidestepped Code restrictions disallowing ministers to be portrayed in a negative light. In a 24 Nov 1958 memo, Brooks noted that he retained the story’s 1920s setting to avoid any identification with contemporary religious leaders.
