Historically, in both Australia and the United States, the issue of film censorship has been a source of conflict between the film industry, community groups and the government. This article compares the methods used to regulate film content in each jurisdiction between 1900 and 1940. It argues that while the legal structure and community pressure groups had a significant influence on the form of control that was implemented, it was the economic strength and structure of the film industry in each country that played a pivotal role in determining the method of film censorship that was adopted.
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