 By the time Hecht @-@ Hill @-@ Lancaster acquired Success , Lehman was in position to not only adapt his own novellette but also produce and direct the film . After scouting locations , Lehman was told by Hecht that distributor United Artists was having second thoughts about going with a first @-@ time director , so Hecht offered the film to Mackendrick . Initially the director had reservations about trying to film such a dialogue @-@ heavy screenplay , so he and Lehman worked on it for weeks to make it more cinematic . As the script neared completion , Lehman became ill and had to resign from the picture . James Hill took over and offered Paddy Chayefsky as Lehman ’ s replacement . Mackendrick suggested Clifford Odets , the playwright whose reputation as a left @-@ wing hero had been tarnished after he named names before the House Un @-@ American Activities Committee . 
