 When MGM production chief Irving Thalberg gave Willis Goldbeck the  assignment to write a draft of a screenplay based on Tod Robbins  "Spurs", the only direction he gave the writer was that the script  had to be horrible. Goldbeck completed his draft quickly and  turned the script over to Thalberg. A few days later Goldbeck was  summoned to Thalbergs office, where he found the producer slumped  forward on his desk with his face buried in his arms, as if  overwhelmed. After a moment, Thalberg sat up straight and looked at  Goldbeck. "Well," said Thalberg, "its horrible."