 Originated in 1957 as a project for director André De Toth (qv),  about a black soldier accused of raping and murdering a German girl  and the lieutenant who defends him and proves his innocence. De Toth  wanted Jeffrey Hunter (I) (qv) as the defense attorney. Based on  the 1955 story "Shadow of the Noose" by John Hawkins (V) (qv) and  Ward Hawkins (qv) in The Saturday Evening Post.