The film"s screenplay by Carl Foreman [this was his last Hollywood film before blacklist exile to London, soon after his work onHome of the Brave (1949),Champion (1949), andThe Men (1950)], written during a politically-oppressive atmosphere in the early 1950s when McCarthyism and political persecution were rampant, was loosely adapted from aCollier"s MagazinestoryThe Tin Star(by John W.The results of his innocent, personal behavior have much larger consequences.[Note: The popular TV seriesI Love Lucyrevived the hilarious assembly line scene in the episode titled "Job Switching" (aka "The Candy Factory"), aired in the show"s second season in mid-September 1952.One of the film"s posters correctly proclaimed:"Television will never be the same."The film had a total of ten Academy Award nominations with four wins.To the film"s credit, five cast members were nominated for Oscars (and three won) - Best Actor (posthumously awarded to Peter Finch - Finch became the first andonlypost-humous winner of an acting Oscar in Academy history), Best Actress (Faye Dunaway), and Best Supporting Actress (Beatrice Straight)).What do you want me to start on tomorrow?" Ellen recommends to her husband that the overseer be dismissed promptly (and he is fired he next morning).