An American Romance, 1944, directed by King Vidor, starred Brian Donlevy, Ann Richards and John Qualen. King Vidor took two years preparing the film, shooting background footage in steel mills, car and aircraft factories in the Middle West and California, however when he was ready for the narrative scenes, neither Spencer Tracy or Ingrid Bergman, whom he had hoped to use, were available, and their replacements Brian Donlevy and Ann Richards were thought insufficient weight to carry the film.