 The myth that Irving Thalberg (qv) came up with the idea for the  movie was broken when it was discovered through telegrams and  contracts in the colleciton of Alfred Grasso, Lon Chaney (qv)s  manager, that Chaney himself suggested not only the story, but who  would be cast and who would direct. Chaneys original pick for  director was actually Frank Borzage (qv), not  Wallace Worsley (qv) (who had directed several other pictures for  Chaney). Erich von Stroheim (qv), Allen Holubar (qv),  Chester Withey (qv), and Emile Chautard (I) (qv) were all  considered as well.