L'Immoraliste was Dean's first Broadway success - he played an Arab street boy who seduces both a husband and his wife and his performance garnered great reviews. At one of the early performances, director Elia Kazan was seated in the audience. Kazan was busy developing John Steinbeck's East of Eden for the silver screen and was having troubles casting the part of Cal Trask - once he saw Dean on stage, he believed he was perfect for the role. A few weeks after L'Immoraliste opened, Dean walked out and went back to Hollywood to begin work with Kazan.