The Big Sleep (1946 film) war. Bacall's agent, Charles K. Feldman, asked that portions of the film be re-shot to capitalize on their chemistry and counteract the negative press Bacall had received for her 1945 performance in "Confidential Agent" which was released prior to "The Big Sleep" even though produced after it. Producer Jack L. Warner agreed, and new scenes for "The Big Sleep", such as the sexually suggestive racehorse dialogue, were added (scripted by an uncredited Julius Epstein). The re-shot ending featured Peggy Knudsen as Mona Mars because Pat Clark, the originally cast actress, was unavailable. Furthermore, the parts of James Flavin and Thomas
To Have and Have Not (film) well as reducing Marie's drinking in the film. He also removed scenes in which Morgan appeared to be a murderer. Other additions included Marie becoming Morgan's sole romantic interest and Helen and her husband becoming fighters for the resistance. Finally, Faulkner made the time frame for the film three days instead of the many months depicted in the novel. Hawks intended to have the screenplay be loosely modeled on "Casablanca", which also starred Humphrey Bogart, hoping for the same success "Casablanca" had met at the box office. Production began on February 29, 1944, with only thirty-six pages of the screenplay