ABSTRACT
Whereas the studios were used to working within the framework of the Production Code, they generally saw this as essential in warning off political interference at the national or state level. The very apolitical nature of the Hollywood product—the much-expressed distaste for sending messages—was seen as the guarantee of the continued autonomy of the studios from government. Yet the right of the film industry to be left alone was already being challenged prior to Pearl Harbor, while international and national factors were beginning to inch the industry towards an interest in politics as a film subject.
