Cregar performed "Oscar Wilde" in San Francisco then eventually signed with 20th Century Fox. They announced him for "The Californian", which was not made, but Cregar was then cast in the big-budget historical movie "Hudson's Bay" (1941), opposite Paul Muni. He followed this up supporting Tyrone Power in "Blood and Sand" (also 1941), although he came down with measles during production, forcing filming to shut down for a week. Cregar made a major impression in both films—the latter in particular was a big success.