On Deadline and Reviewed in Pieces: The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek and the Production Code Administration

Though historians possess a considerable understanding of how Hollywood’s Production Code Administration (PCA) reviewed and regulated film content during the classical era, less attention has been paid to situations where studios submitted scripts in piecemeal fashion, or when production began without a review of the entire script. This essay draws upon archival records to examine how such a scenario enabled The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944) to enjoy a looser PCA review process. Chronologically organizing production records, script rewrites, and PCA correspondence reveals specific ways in which writer-director Preston Sturges diluted the PCA’s power, resulting in a controversial finished film that faced sharp criticism from government and religious groups.