This Gun for Hire
Paramount had owned the film rights to "A Gun for Sale", a novel by Graham Greene, since 1936, but waited until 1941 before making a movie out of it, changing the title to "This Gun for Hire". Director Frank Tuttle was struggling to find a new actor to play the role of Raven, a hit man with a conscience. Ladd auditioned successfully, and Paramount signed him to a long-term contract in September 1941 for $300 per week. "The New York Times" wrote that: