Lancaster, still considered a new actor with only two released films to his credit (The Killers and Brute Force, as the other three were stuck in Paramount Pictures' backlog), announced that he was starting his own film production company in July 1947. At the time, Hellinger and Lancaster were already discussing their next project together, Criss Cross, which was originally to be financed and distributed through Universal-International Pictures. This later changed when Mark Hellinger Productions signed a six-picture distribution deal with David O. Selznick's Selznick Releasing Organization in October 1947, two months before Hellinger passed away. Because of the success The Killers and Brute Force had received, Lancaster and Hecht were able to negotiate directly with William Goetz, head of Universal-International Pictures, and the studio offered them a package deal: a one-off $1,000,000 financing offer to produce one of their own films, which Universal-International Pictures would distribute, in exchange for Lancaster starring in the studio's production of All My Sons. Lancaster was only salaried for his acting in All My Sons, performing and producing his own film within the means of the production cost, but Universal-International Pictures' deal with Norma Productions added the bonus of splitting the profits from the picture equally between the two units. Lancaster's new production company was named Norma Productions and became a registered and incorporated company in July 1947. Lancaster named his company after his second wife, Norma Marie Anderson, whom he had married six months prior, on December 28, 1946. His wife was a strong supporter of his artistic independence, and she was quoted as saying that Lancaster should "make one movie for the bank, one for [his] art". Anderson's profile was used for the company's logo. The new business setup its headquarters in the same office that Hecht rented for his company, Harold Hecht Productions, at 8747 Sunset Boulevard West in Hollywood. But as soon as pre-production started on their first movie, Norma Productions officially listed their address as part of Universal Studio in Universal City. Early legal papers credit Harold Hecht as president of Norma Productions with Burt Lancaster as vice-president, though both were always equal partners, and Jack M. Ostrow as treasurer. Hecht's private typist Cherie Redmond became the company's executive secretary. Development and casting Hecht and Lancaster's first independent film production was revealed to the press simultaneously with the announcement of their new film production company. As co-producer, Lancaster could