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age but he was a very good actor. He said, “I've got to have Hangover Square. This picture was made to order for me. I've persuaded Darryl Zanuck, although he doesn't want to do it, to buy it for me. What do you want for it?" I said, “You know, it's been out for a long time and nobody's bid for it. So what will you give us?" He said, “I persuaded Zanuck to go up to $25,000.”

I said, “Patrick Hamilton is a lieutenant on an English carrier in the Mediterranean, and I'll cable him. I know where he is because we've been in touch with him.” It was during the War, as I say. I figured that an offer of $25,000 to a lieutenant on a carrier during the War would be a glimpse of heaven. Not at all. He cabled back that he wouldn't take a cent less than $50,000. So I transcribed this message to Darryl Zanuck, who was very pleased. He said, “I didn't I want it anyway. I was doing it just to please Cregar and keep him out of my hair. We wouldn't dream of paying you $50,000.” So that was that, and I figured that Hamilton had outsmarted himself.

About six weeks later they called up and said, “We've decided to pay $50,000 for Hangover Square.” I said, “Really?" The deal was made and we got our check with the contract. A little while later I said to somebody from Fox...maybe it was Zanuck himself...I don't remember who it was..."What made you change your mind?" He said, “Well, we didn't tell you at the time, but a terrible mistake was made on that book. We were three weeks in production when we