 Much disagreement to the origin of the source material exists. Some  contemporary sources believed the source was  Lytton Strachey (qv)s 1918 biographical essay in "Eminent  Victorians". Others contend Michael Jacoby (I) (qv) was the  author. Warner Bros. executive Hal B. Wallis (qv) contended that  the life of Florence Nightingale (qv) was in the public domain,  and that screenwriter Mordaunt Shairp (qv) did his own research.  The MPAA agreed with Wallis; no source credit was necessary.