Lancaster was signed to star in The Wreck of the Mary Deare, when Hitchcock was to produce and direct the film for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, but things changed considerably once Hitchcock left the project to focus on North by Northwest. Title, rating and censorship The title of the film has been subject to a certain level of controversy, which led way to rumors exponentially growing over the years. Universal-International Pictures was never opposed to the film's original title. It was not until March 1948 that the title was questioned. The script had been sent in to the Motion Picture Association of America's Title Registration Bureau (a required procedure at the time) and had been reviewed and approved by Margaret Ann Young, head of the section under Eric Johnston's administration. The Motion Picture Association of America found that Kiss the Blood Off My Hands did not violate any provisions to their code. Young merely recommended that the title be changed and that the whipping scene be kept short. Her decision was based on a comparison between the film's title, the script and the message it gave to the audience. Young had previously conducted a survey in December 1947, and concluded that half of the film titles that were submitted to the Motion Picture Association of America dealt with crime or violence. This trend was later revealed to be partly caused by the rise of film noirs following World War II. In mid-March 1948, Hecht sent out over five hundred letters to theater owners, exhibitors, circuit heads, bookers and buyers, asking their opinion with regards to the title of Norma Productions' first film. He also contacted over one hundred different universities' psychology department heads and hired Princeton University's Audience Research Institute to conduct a survey. As late as May 13, 1948, on the eve of completing filming, the movie was still known under its original title, Kiss the Blood Off My Hands. After receiving a considerable amount of feedback from the letters Hecht sent out, Norma Productions volunteered to change the film's title. An internal contest was held at the film production's office which offered $50 to the best new title suggestion. A Universal-International Pictures employee was responsible for suggesting the new title Blood on My Hands, but Dozier's personal secretary at Rampart Productions, Lillian Browne, came up with The Unafraid, which Lancaster liked best as it touched up on the personality of the