This was Billy Wilder""s fourth directorial effort, afterThe Major and the Minor (1942),Five Graves to Cairo (1943), and he classic film noirDouble Indemnity (1944).Another town resident, well-dressed but humorless local businessman Mr.Freddy Smalley (John Schuck) declined an invitation o play with the "professionals." A mistaken, mythologizing rumor was started by Sheehan who interrupted the game and asked if McCabe was the reknowned and notorious gunman ""Pudgy"" McCabe with a reputation ("big rep") for killing Bill Roundtree.A budgeted investment of over $4 million in production costs was required - an enormous, record-breaking sum.Wilkinson.We felt that with your unusual gifts of getting work out of the boys that you""d rather concentrate on teaching and leave the rather tiresome job of housemaster o someone with special gifts in that direction.