▁irrelevant ▁mel od ram atic ▁devices ". ▁Wood s ▁had ▁made ▁his ▁success ▁on ▁Broadway ▁with ▁low - brow ▁mel od ram as ▁such ▁as ▁Nell ie , ▁the ▁Beautiful ▁Clo ak ▁Model ▁and ▁ris qué ▁com ed ies ▁such ▁as ▁The ▁Dem i - V ir gin . ▁Wood s ▁was ▁not ▁interested ▁in ▁what ▁he ▁called ▁Rand ' s ▁" high fal ut in ▁speech es ", ▁prefer ring ▁the ▁dram atic ▁conflict ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁concrete ▁elements , ▁such ▁as ▁whether ▁the ▁def endant ▁had ▁a ▁gun . ▁The ▁changes ▁to ▁Rand ' s ▁work ▁included ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁character , ▁a ▁gun ▁m oll ▁played ▁by ▁Sh ub ert ' s ▁mist ress . ▁ ▁The ▁contract ▁between ▁Wood s ▁and ▁Rand ▁allowed ▁him ▁to ▁h ire ▁collabor ators ▁if ▁he ▁thought ▁it ▁necessary , ▁pay ing ▁them ▁a ▁limited ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁author ' s ▁roy alt ies . ▁He ▁first ▁h ired ▁John ▁Hay den ▁to ▁direct , ▁pay ing ▁him ▁one ▁percentage ▁point ▁from ▁Rand ' s ▁ 1 0 - percent ▁royal ty . ▁Although ▁Hay den ▁was ▁a ▁successful ▁Broadway ▁director , ▁Rand ▁dis lik ed ▁him ▁and ▁later ▁called ▁him ▁" a ▁very ▁rat ty ▁Broadway ▁h anger - on ". ▁As ▁aud itions ▁for ▁the ▁play ▁began ▁in ▁Philadelphia , ▁Wood s ▁demanded ▁further ▁script ▁changes ▁and ▁was ▁fr ustr ated ▁by ▁Rand ' s ▁ref us al ▁to ▁make ▁some ▁of ▁them . ▁He ▁engaged ▁Louis ▁We itzen k