The leading lady in French star Jean Gabin's first American film, Moontide (1942), was played by Ida Lupino, then a rising young star since receiving major acclaim for her performance in Warner Bros.' They Drive By Night (1940). A few weeks before filming of Moontide began in November, 1941, Ida was quoted saying:
Everyone has been hoping to get the lead opposite Gabin in his first picture. It may be a little catty, but I'm very happy I got it. (Knoxville News-Sentinel, Oct. 5, 1941)
The Moontide project had been announced seven months earlier, in April 1941, but had been immediately put on hold to allow Gabin several months in which to learn sufficient English. So during that time, which actresses besides Ida were strongly considered for the role opposite Gabin? Here are the candidates I have heard.
Joan Bennett
In a short film on the making of Moontide, produced in 2008 for the DVD release, well-known film historian and TCM personality Robert Osborne gives this information.
The leading lady of the film was actually supposed to be Joan Bennett, who had a contract with 20th Century-Fox. But she got pregnant. So what they did is they borrowed Ida Lupino from Warner Bros.
I don't have access to internal studio documents, but from publicly available information, I have not been able to corroborate any of this. Taking the items from Osborne's statement in reverse order: first, Lupino had a separate contract with 20th Century-Fox and so was not "borrowed". Second, Joan Bennett was making films almost continually throughout 1941. Any pregnancy she may have had did not interfere with the making of any of the other several films she did that year. Also note that her next child was born in mid-1943, a year-and-a-half after Moontide was in production. Finally, I have not found any mention of Bennett's name in connection with Moontide in those newspapers or trade papers whose archives are available online.
This does not, of course, preclude the possibility that Joan Bennett was the studio's initial choice internally. But the apparent factual problems with the rest of Osborne's statement make me skeptical of the claim that Bennett was ever the top choice. Hopefully I'll be able to find more conclusive evidence one way or the other at some point.
Linda Darnell
Moontide was first announced in mid-April 1941, shortly after Jean Gabin arrived in Hollywood after escaping his French homeland, which had been conquered by the German army the previous summer. No other definitive cast members were mentioned in the announcement, but influential Hollywood columnist Louella Parsons offered this tidbit: "Don't say I told you—but Linda Darnell is the leading candidate for the femme role."
Darnell was 17 years old and still in high school in early 1941. Despite her youth, she had made a big splash over the previous two years at 20th Century—co-starring in several significant films with established star Tyrone Power, including The Mark of Zorro (1940) and Blood and Sand (1941).
Interestingly, after that initial hint from Louella Parsons, Darnell's name is never again mentioned in associate with Moontide—at least not in anything I have been able to find. But there was another possibility that may have paired Darnell with Gabin in his first Hollywood movie.
For a brief time in late May and early June, rumors hit the press that Gabin could be the star of fellow Frenchman Jean Renoir's first American film, Swamp Water. Darnell was lined up for the leading lady. By mid-June, however, this was shot down and Moontide was again first on tap for Gabin, with Ida Lupino mentioned as his co-star. Darnell was dropped from the Swamp Water cast.
Ida Lupino
After Louella Parsons' one-time mention of Linda Darnell in April, the next woman named for Gabin's co-star was Ida Lupino. On April 23, barely a week after Moontide was first announced, a brief item in the Los Angeles Times entitled "Gabin's Luck" said "Ida Lupino is reported scheduled to appear opposite Jean Gabin in 'Moontide', his first film for 20th Century-Fox, which is tabbed to start shooting in September."
So that's that, then. Ida had won the role almost immediately, even though the film was still many months away from shooting due to Gabin's need to perfect his English. If Linda Darnell or Joan Bennett or anyone else was considered, it was not for long and none of the competitors' press agents were able to get traction in print. Is that the end of the story?
Mostly, but not quite. Six months is an eternity in Hollywood.
Ginger Rogers
On May 5, columnist Louella Parsons struck again, writing that Gabin, who was seen around town with Ginger Rogers frequently at this time, wanted Ginger for his co-star and was working on convincing her to take the role. Parsons mentions Ida Lupino as "also in the running". This was just a few months after Ginger Rogers had won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her work the previous year in Kitty Foyle.
Once again, Parsons' reporting led to nothing, as Ginger Rogers' name not does not appear again in connection with the Moontide role. Soon Gabin was seen all around town with Marlene Dietrich.
Back to Ida Lupino
By July 1941, still several months ahead of the scheduled production date, Ida Lupino appears to have been firmly established as Gabin's co-star—both their names are included when 20th Century-Fox hypes their next season's films. And while circumstances could certainly have changed after that point, they did not.
As we saw at the very beginning of this essay, in October, Ida, who was then in a months-long dispute with Warner Bros. over the roles they were assigning her, was publicly expressing her pleasure with the role 20th Century-Fox had given her. When filming of Moontide finally began in November, Ida Lupino was on the job.