As producer and director, George Stevens was committed to making Shane for some time before he had the cast locked in. He had planned on using Montgomery Clift, who had been his star in A Place In The Sun, in the title role, and William Holden as the rancher Joe Starrett. When both Clift and Holden pulled out because of other commitments, Stevens sat down with Y. Frank Freeman, the head of production for Paramount studios. Stevens asked to see a list of actors under contract and within minutes he had chosen Alan Ladd for the title role, Van Heflin as Starrett, and Jean Arthur to play Starrett's wife. Arthur, who was an old friend, was said to have been Stevens' first choice for the role all along, having starred for him in The More The Merrier. Brandon DeWilde, who had made his debut in the highly regarded The Member Of The Wedding (1953), was also the first choice to play the Starrett's son Joey. He went on to earn a nomination for the Academy Award as best supporting actor, becoming, at age 11, the youngest performer nominated for a competitive award up to that time.