 Fox purchased the screen rights to the novel in March 1945 for  $250,000 plus 20% of the net profits. To avoid another $50,000  specified in the contract if the principle photography was not  started by 2 February 1946, producer Darryl F. Zanuck (qv)  provided for location shooting in the mountains around Denver,  Colorado (the Himalayas in the film) in August 1945. The cast had  not yet been set, so the character of Larry was played by a double  and seen only in long