studios attempting to acquire the screen rights to the novel date back to 1933. rko pictures and warner bros. considered buying the rights, the first intending to assign charles laughton in the lead role, but were discouraged from doing so. in march 1940, columbia pictures showed interest, but was informed that "tobacco road" was on the list of banned titles. eventually, 20th century fox won the rights in august 1940, with rko as its main competitor. it was believed that fox won due to the success of "the grapes of wrath" (1940). they were the main preference of the copyright holders erskine caldwell and jack kirkland, who were reluctant to sell the rights unless the film "would be picturized honestly and fearlessly."