The Great Sinner (1949)

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The Great Sinner is a 1949 American film noir drama film directed by Robert Siodmak. Based on the 1866 short novel The Gambler written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the film stars Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Frank Morgan, Ethel Barrymore, Walter Huston, Agnes Moorehead and Melvyn Douglas.

Production

The working title for the film was The Gamblers. Warner Bros. planned on making a screen adaptation of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel in 1940, directed by William Dieterle and starring Albert Basserman. Eventually, MGM bought the rights to the short novel, and for its adaptation, the screenwriters also used elements of Dostoyevsky's life and his other novel Crime and Punishment.

In April 1948, Gregory Peck was cast in the lead role. At the time it was announced, it was revealed Deborah Kerr was scheduled to star opposite him. However, in late May 1948, Lana Turner was cast as Peck's leading lady, with production set to start in September the same year. However, a week later, in June, it was revealed that Ava Gardner was cast in the female lead.

The role played by Melvyn Douglas was initially offered to Kirk Douglas.

In late June 1948, Robert Siodmak signed on to direct. Initially, Siodmak had been unavailable to direct the film due to commitments to an ultimately unrealized project starring Joan Fontaine, but Fontaine's withdrawal due to pregnancy allowed Siodmak to direct The Great Sinner.

The film went into production as a 'prestige film' and Peck later recalled that Siodmak was a "nervous wreck" as a result of the responsibility he felt. Walter Huston did not sign on for the film, which was to be his penultimate role, until production had already started in September 1948. André Previn received an early onscreen credit as conductor of Bronisław Kaper's score and the period bandstand music.

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