In a 1947 article for the New York Times entitled "Writer or Director, Who Makes the Movie"" Frank Nugent was to prove prophetic about his own career. After surveying the opinions of contemporary directors like Alfred Hitchcock and Cecil B. De Mille, Nugent concluded that, contrary to what they might think, "some of the directors' best friends are writers." The problem is, Nugent went on to state, "they just don't see enough of each other." Nugent's piece appeared at a time when the Screen Writers Guild was mounting an intense campaign to improve recognition and credit for scriptwriters, but Nugent himself never became bitter about the screenwriter's obscured role in the shooting process or the inadequate recognition he received for the finished film. His professional satisfaction must be traced in large measure to Nugent's relationship with John Ford, a director who, unlike many of his peers, recognized that the...