 De Havilland chose William Wyler as her director, wisely considering  that such a meticulous director would be able to coax a strong  performance from her. As it turned out, Wyler became a staunch  supporter of his leading actress, particularly in regard to the  sneering attitude that Montgomery Clift displayed towards her (he  didnt rate her talents as an actress) and Ralph Richardson taking  every opportunity to steal scenes from under her nose with his  improvisations.