Mildred: You don""t need me?Peterson: I don""t know how to apologize for bringing you down here for nothing, but you understand, we had to be sure.And Richard Beymer, known for his performance as Peter Van Daan in George Stevens""The Diary of Anne Frank (1959), took the lead male role which was also considered for Marlon Brando and Elvis Presley.Excited friends from another vehicle call over to him: "Come on! The whole gang""s going over!" Impulsively, Jim taps his feet to the beat of the martial music - the militarism is contagious.According to Carter, his service in the South was "fishy" and without credentials: "He never even saw the South until after the war.