Lou explained to Gus, Serge and Rita what the commotion was all about: "Some guy done her wrong.The story""s so old it should have been set to music long ago." It appeared to be fateful luck when Rita expressed an interest in the innocent but wronged girl, by offering her a ""song and dance"" job on the Barbary Coast.After he screamed for help, he ran directly into the demonic Freddy who said in a sinister voice: "Daddy can""t help you now.She was returning from a War Bond promotional tour.The script was developed both by Lubitsch and Hungarian writer Melchior Lengyel, whose original story was the basis for Lubitsch""s previous filmNinotchka (1939)- the earlier film garnered Lengyel a Best Original Screenplay nomination (it lost toGone With the Wind (1939)).To prepare for the coming disaster, Roddy and Letty took shelter by entering a trap door into the cellar with most of the town""s members, Cora, and the children joining them, while Lige and Sourdough remained on the main floor to brace the doors and windows.