The following year, Darnell portrayed Daphne de Carter in the Preston Sturges' comedy "Unfaithfully Yours" (1948), also starring Rex Harrison, and was then rushed into production as one of the three wives in the comedy/drama "A Letter to Three Wives" (1949). Darnell's hard-edged performance in the latter won her unanimous acclaim and the best reviews of her career. Darnell became one of the most in-demand actresses in Hollywood, and she now had the freedom to select her own roles. She longed for the leading role in the controversial film "Pinky" (1949), but Zanuck feared that her character would be compared to Amber by the audience, and "A Letter to Three Wives" co-star Jeanne Crain was cast instead.