wanted to build him into a leading man. He had a support role in Black Friday (1940), then he did The House Across the Bay (1940) for Walter Wanger. He returned to Universal for Zanzibar (1940), where he had the male lead. He was down the cast list for Secret Enemy (1940), and the serial Winners of the West (1940) but had a lead part in South to Karanga (1940). Craig had smaller parts in I'm Nobody's Sweetheart Now (1940), Seven Sinners (1940), and Lucky Ralston (1940). RKO Craig's big break happened when RKO bought out his contract with Universal to play one of Ginger Rogers' suitors in Kitty Foyle (1940). This was a big hit. RKO gave him the romantic lead in Unexpected Uncle (1941), and he played a New Hampshire farmer who sells his soul in All That Money Can Buy, also titled The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941), with Walter Huston and Edward Arnold. He appeared with Lucille Ball in an RKO Western, Valley of the Sun (1942). Edward Small cast him in Friendly Enemies (1942), supporting Charles Ruggles and Charles Winninger. MGM Louis B. Mayer, head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, thought Craig resembled the studio's most popular male star Clark Gable. Mayer signed Craig to a seven-year contract to potentially fill in for Gable when he enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces. MGM started off Craig as the lead in some B Westerns, The Omaha Trail (1942) and Northwest Rangers (1942). The latter was a remake of Manhattan Melodrama with Craig playing the role played by Gable in the original. Both films lost money. Craig went back to RKO for Seven Miles from Alcatraz (1942) then did a naval propaganda short, Freedom Comes High. MGM launched Craig as a star in The Human Comedy (1943), which was a massive success. He was Ann Sothern's love interest in Swing Shift Maisie (1943) and supported Margaret O'Brien in Lost Angel (1943). In 1944, Craig co-starred with William Powell and Hedy Lamarr in The Heavenly Body. That year exhibitors voted him the second most likely to be a "star of tomorrow". Craig supported Ronald Colman in Kismet (1944), and Lana Turner in Marriage Is a Private Affair (1944); the latter was a big hit. Craig was given the star role in Gentle Annie (1945) and Dangerous Partners (1945); he was reunited with O'Brien in Our Vines Have Tender Grapes