was solely to act as producer in his new film production company, approached Dassin to direct the picture and negotiations were underway for a financing and distribution deal with Columbia Pictures. For reasons unknown, the film was never made. While still in New York City, Dassin was hired by producers John Houseman and William R. Katzell to direct Allan Scott's play Joy to the World; a comedy about a ruthless Hollywood producer. The play began rehearsals on January 26, 1948, and opened on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre on March 18, 1948. It would run for 124 performances, until July 3, 1948. The cast included Alfred Drake, Marsha Hunt, Morris Carnovsky, Mary Welch, Lois Hall, Peggy Maley, Myron McCormick, Clay Clement, Bert Freed, Kurt Kasznar and Theodore Newton. 20th Century-Fox Film and the blacklist years (1948–1953) In February 1948, Dassin was approached by theatre producer Mike Todd, who was planning to venture into the film producing business. Todd planned to produce a series of low-budget, $500,000 films and had secured a financing and distribution deal with 20th Century-Fox Film. The first picture in Todd's new deal was Busman's Holiday, an original story based on newspaper accounts of a Bronx bus driver who took off for Florida with his family using his company's bus. Todd cast Joan Blondell as one of the leads and planned to film the entire picture using real locations, from New York City to Florida. Motivated by the success and filming style of The Naked City, Todd immediately approached Dassin to direct the film. The picture was never made, but Todd later produced the similarly scenic picture Around the World in 80 Days. On April 3, 1948, Dassin returned to Hollywood to meet with executives from three different studios: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 20th Century-Fox Film and Columbia Pictures, each of which had offered the director a contract. Dassin connected best with Darryl F. Zanuck and opted to sign with 20th Century-Fox Film. In addition to Busman's Holiday, during the spring of 1948 Dassin was tied to two film projects with actress Paulette Goddard at 20th Century-Fox Film. The first was to be a film adaptation of Jean-Paul Sartre's latest novel and recently opened Broadway hit The Respectful Prostitute, for which Goddard and actor Burgess Meredith had negotiated the screen rights, hoping to play the leads. Dassin, who had promised to direct, was the only director Goddard wanted. By June