The author tells us how this unique film came to be, from its beginnings in the pages of Davis Grubb's novel to the acquisition of film rights by producer Paul Gregory, the hiring of Laughton to direct and James Agee to write the script, to every aspect of the film's development and productions -- casting, design, shooting, scoring and editing -- to the profound disappointment upon its release. The book's narrative derives from archival research and, dramatically, from interviews with a dozen key people associated with the film including Davis Grubb, Gregory, actors Robert Mitchum and Lillian Gish and cinematographer Stanley Cortez.