Escape
Producer Lawrence Weingarten was developing a screen version of Ethel Vance's 1939 novel Escape and initially approached Hitchcock to direct it for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with Robert Taylor and Norma Shearer in the lead roles. Hitchcock was tempted and keen to work with Shearer, but eventually turned the offer down, fearing MGM wouldn't give him the freedom to direct the film in his own style.[1]
Weingarten then approached director Mervyn LeRoy and the film was released in 1940.
