Goldwyn had already cast the three leads when he offered William Wyler, who until then had helmed mostly B pictures and Westerns, the opportunity to direct the film, along with a five-year contract. Although Wyler wasn't completely happy with Goldwyn's casting choices, he accepted the offer but insisted on a three-year contract instead. He tried to convince Goldwyn to replace contract player Joel McCrea with Leslie Howard, but the producer refused, although he unwisely told McCrea about Wyler's preference, which led to difficulties between the actor and director during filming.