9 3 4 ▁as ▁a ▁possible ▁vehicle ▁for ▁Lor etta ▁Young . ▁They ▁h ired ▁Rand ▁to ▁write ▁a ▁screen play , ▁but ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁scra pped . ▁After ▁M GM ' s ▁option ▁exp ired , ▁Wood s ▁considered ▁making ▁a ▁movie ▁version ▁through ▁a ▁production ▁company ▁of ▁his ▁own , ▁but ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁R K O ▁Pictures ▁bought ▁the ▁rights ▁for ▁$ 1 0 , 0 0 0 , ▁a ▁fee ▁split ▁between ▁Wood s ▁and ▁Rand . ▁R K O ▁considered ▁Claud ette ▁Col bert ▁and ▁Luc ille ▁Ball ▁as ▁possible ▁stars , ▁but ▁they ▁also ▁gave ▁up ▁on ▁the ▁adaptation . ▁The ▁rights ▁were ▁res old ▁to ▁Param ount ▁Pictures ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁for ▁$ 3 5 , 0 0 0 . ▁Param ount ▁released ▁a ▁movie ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 ; ▁Rand ▁did ▁not ▁particip ate ▁in ▁the ▁production . ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁directed ▁by ▁William ▁C lem ens , ▁and ▁Del mer ▁Dav es , ▁Robert ▁P iro sh , ▁and ▁E ve ▁Gre ene ▁were ▁engaged ▁to ▁prepare ▁a ▁new ▁screen play . ▁ ▁The ▁new ▁screen play ▁alter ed ▁the ▁plot ▁significantly , ▁foc using ▁on ▁Steve ▁Van ▁Ru yle ▁( Ro bert ▁Pr eston ), ▁a ▁sail or ▁who ▁inher its ▁a ▁position ▁on ▁the ▁board ▁of ▁a ▁company ▁head ed ▁by ▁B j orn ▁Fa ulk ner ▁( N ils ▁Ast her ). ▁Un like ▁the ▁play , ▁in ▁which ▁Fa ulk