 William A. Wellman (qv), nicknamed "Wild Bill", was a fighter  pilot in World War I and hated the infantry, and therefore had no  interest in making a film about them. Producer Lester Cowan (qv)  tried several times to convince Wellman to direct the film,  including showing up uninvited at Christmas with gifts for Wellmans  children. Wellman finally agreed to take the job only after meeting  and spending several days with Ernie Pyle (qv) at Pyles home in  New Mexico, where he saw how much former infantrymen revered him.