Original novel Augusta Tucker's novel was published in 1939. Paramount paid $20,000 for the film rights. The novel became a best seller. A sequel came out in 1942,
The Man Miss Susie Loved.
Development In 1939 Martin Berkley was assigned to write the script. John Cromwell was assigned to direct under the supervision of Arthur Hornblow. In January 1941 Paramount announced
Jean Arthur would star and Sam Wood would produce and direct with Lorraine Nobel writing a script.
Jack Oakie was to play the comic male lead. In May 1941
Irene Dunne was named as lead. In June 1941 filming was postponed so Wood could make
For Whom the Bell Tolls.
John Houseman In August 1943 the project was reactivated when Paramount head of production
Buddy DeSylva have it to producer John Houseman, who had just made
The Unseen for the studio. In January 1944 the project was officially put back on Paramount's schedule with a new screenplay done (
Hugo Butler was borrowed from MGM to do this) and
Betty Field listed as star. The novel was set in Baltimore at
Johns Hopkins Hospital but references to that specific city and hospital were removed from the script.
Director It was thought Houseman might get
Orson Welles involved as a star or director. However Welles did not have anything to do with the film. At one stage
Harold Clurman was going to direct – he worked on the script – but left the project and in May 1944 signed a contract with RKO. In June the job of directing was given to theatre director John Berry, who had worked with Houseman and Welles in the theatre. He had never made a movie before but Berry spent a number of months at Paramount observing other directors and filming screen tests to get experience. In July Joan Caulfield, who had enjoyed Broadway success in
Kiss and Tell, was given the female lead, in her motion picture debut. Veronica Lake joined the cast in August, along with Pat Phelan, who had been discovered doing theatre. Lake later said her role – along with ones in
The Blue Dahlia,
Out of this World and
Hold That Blonde were "not noteworthy."
Shooting Filming took place in November 1944. At one stage the film was going to be called
The Golden Years but the title was changed back. "I did 54 takes on my first shot", remembered Berry years later. ==Critical reception==