John Garfield of the last film, based on the life of Al Schmid, a war hero blinded in combat. In preparing for the role, Garfield lived for several weeks with Schmid and his wife in Philadelphia and would blindfold himself for hours at a time. After the war, Garfield starred in a series of successful films such as "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946) with Lana Turner, "Humoresque" (1946) with Joan Crawford, and the Oscar-winning Best Picture "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947). In "Gentleman's Agreement", Garfield took a featured, but supporting, part because he believed deeply in the film's exposé of antisemitism in America.
The Postman Always Rings Twice (novel) The Postman Always Rings Twice (novel) The Postman Always Rings Twice is a 1934 crime novel by James M. Cain. The novel was successful and notorious upon publication. It is regarded as one of the more important crime novels of the 20th century. The novel's mix of sexuality and violence was startling in its time and caused it to be banned in Boston. It is included in Modern Library's list of 100 best novels. The novel has been adapted as a motion picture seven times (see "Adaptations"). The 1946 version is probably the best known and is regarded as an