A long-time supporter of racial equality, Hecht then made "Take a Giant Step", a coming-of-age drama film dealing with the realities of racism in American schools. Hecht hired pop singer Johnny Nash (later immortalized by his 1972, No.1 hit single "I Can See Clearly Now") to play the lead with Philip Leacock directing. Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions was hoping to make an impact in the film industry, while African American civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. were protesting in the streets with the same message. But the film was plagued by delays and resistance from United Artists who initially refused to finance it (it was advanced in full by Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions from their other films' profits), then refused to release it, and who finally shelved it after a limited distribution. Still, the film won the Silver Sail Award at the Locarno International Film Festival in Italy and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Film Promoting International Understanding and the BAFTA United Nations Award.