Solution: Protection of a protagonist for narrative purposes, in slang - NYT Crossword

After so many solves, I don’t let first impressions dictate my take on a whole puzzle, but I do get a kick out of tricky first clues. I’ve never seen this term before. It’s the equivalent of the “script immunity” that every James Bond gets: PLOT ARMOR. The first place I looked for an explanation referred to this line from a 1942 movie tune: “For any villains we may meet, we haven’t any fears; Paramount will protect us, ’cause we’re signed for five more years.” And yet I still watch the stunt scenes through my fingers.