 Sammy Davis Jr. (qv) managed to obtain a copy of the script and  asked John Wayne (I) (qv) if he could play the straight role of a  Negro slave. Wayne considered him but eventually declined Davis  offer. Davis recalled, "There were a lot of influential Texans  investing in the film and they didnt like the idea that I was  seeing [his future wife] May Britt (qv) at the time. They  disapproved of a man of color going out with a girl who was white,  though Duke [Wayne] was upfront with me about it and I respected him  for it".