▁F arr ▁as ▁count ▁R id olf i ' s ▁s quire ▁ ▁Paul ▁Pr é bo ist ▁ ▁Production ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁fifty - page ▁un pub lished ▁manuscript ▁called ▁" D iane ▁de ▁Po it iers " ▁by ▁John ▁Er sk ine , ▁who ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 . ▁Film ▁rights ▁were ▁bought ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁by ▁producer ▁Ed win ▁H ▁Kn opf , ▁story ▁editor ▁for ▁Sam ▁Gold w yn . ▁Kn opf ▁tried ▁to ▁get ▁finan cing ▁for ▁the ▁film ▁but ▁was ▁unable . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁react iv ated . ▁Kn opf ▁re - sec ured ▁the ▁film ▁rights ▁from ▁Er sk ine ' s ▁estate ▁and ▁took ▁the ▁project ▁to ▁D ore ▁Sch ary , ▁head ▁of ▁production ▁at ▁M GM , ▁where ▁Kn op ft ▁had ▁a ▁deal . ▁Sch ary ▁agreed ▁to ▁fin ance . ▁Gre er ▁Gar son ▁was ▁originally ▁mentioned ▁as ▁a ▁possible ▁lead . ▁Sch ary ▁also ▁announced ▁he ▁hoped ▁to ▁get ▁Gre ta ▁Gar bo ▁to ▁come ▁out ▁of ▁ret irement ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁role . ▁It ▁eventually ▁went ▁to ▁L ana ▁Turner . ▁ ▁Turner ▁said ▁D iane ▁was ▁an ▁interesting ▁woman ▁" one ▁who ▁used ▁her ▁charm ▁intellig ently . ▁Actually ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁for er un ner ▁of ▁today ' s ▁modern ▁woman ; ▁she ▁was ▁Europe ' s ▁first ▁out door ▁girl , ▁a ▁health ▁fan ▁and ▁an ▁advoc ate