 The first attempt to film this property was by Louis B. Mayer (qv)  and Jack Cummings (I) (qv) in 1957. Planned as a Cinerama release  with a screenplay by John Lee Mahin (qv) and new songs by  Alan Jay Lerner (qv) and Arthur Schwartz (qv), the project died  with Louis B. Mayer (qv). Gary Cooper (I) (qv) was being sought  to play Ben Rumson.