 Studio advisers warned Ray Milland (qv) that this would be the  death of his career. Milland himself was initially reluctant to take  the part, as it had been turned down by many other leading actors of  the day. However, Paramount was convinced that the only way they  could sell such a film was with a matinée idol in the lead.  Billy Wilder (qv) acquiesced to this only when it became clear  that his first choice, José Ferrer (I) (qv), would not land the  part.