Which genre was ultimately squashed by the Production Code Administration due to its ties to real-life headlines?

A) horror
B) melodrama
C) gangster
D) musical

The gangster genre was ultimately squashed by the Production Code Administration due to its ties to real-life headlines, particularly the rise of organized crime in the 1930s. The portrayal of violence and criminal behavior in gangster films was seen as glorifying these illegal activities and potentially inspiring copycat behavior. As a result, the Production Code enforced strict guidelines on the depiction of crime in films, effectively ending the popularity of gangster movies for many years.