a moderate success and again Dassin was highlighted in the reviews. In mid-February 1942, it was reported that Dassin would direct a film titled Men at Sea from a Marine Corps story by Alma Rivkin (possibly a typo for Allen Rivkin) starring Philip Dorn. The film was presumably abandoned. In April 1942, it was reported that Dassin would be one of eight directors, along with Fred Zinenmann, Fred Wilcox, Charles Lederer, Edward Cahn, Joseph M. Newman and David Miller, to film a sequence for a planned patriotic anthology film at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer titled Now We Are 21. The film was to be produced by B. F. Zeidman and scripted by Peter Ruric from a story by Jerry Schwartz. Actors such as Gene Kelly, Ray McDonald, Virginia O'Brien, James Warren, Tatricia Dane, Johnny Davis and Barry Wilson were to appear in the film, but it was never made. Joan Crawford, one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's biggest stars at the time, watched a private screening of Nazi Agent, after which she rushed to Louis B. Mayer's office insisting that Dassin direct her upcoming World War II drama vehicle, Reunion in France (originally announced simply as Reunion). The picture was being produced by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and was to co-star Philip Dorn and John Wayne. Crawford also requested that Ann Ayars, who co-starred in Nazi Agent, be given the second female lead in her film. Dassin was notified of this new assignment on May 19, 1942, and the press reported that he had been promoted to become an "A movie" director. On the first day of shooting, Dassin yelled "cut" while Crawford was performing, which deeply upset the actress and led her to rush into Mayer's office. Dassin was called into Mayer's office and told that his career as a film director was over. To his surprise, Crawford invited the young director to have dinner at her house later that night and the two became dear friends; the next day, Dassin resumed his directorial duty on the film. The film opened to theatres in December 1942 but received mixed opinions from critics who found its pace too slow. After completing Reunion in France, it was reported that Dassin received a leave of absence from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to act in a stage production of William Shakespeare's Richard III on Broadway. The play was to be directed by and starring John Carradine, though it is unknown if this production