When interviewed by David Chierichetti, for the book "Mitchell Leisen: Hollywood Director", Leisen confirmed that, although credited as "associate director" , he had in fact directed the vast majority of the film: "One day the script for the Eagle and the Hawk came through for us to start work on the sets. I read it and was dying to direct it. It was the only time in my career where I felt I just *had* to direct anything... I burst into
Bayard Veiller's office and told him I wanted to make it. He said, "
William A. Wellman's on his way over here and I don't even want him to see you here so get out!" I was very discouraged and I said, "Well, I think I'll splurge and have lunch at the Ambassador Hotel." While I was down there I got a call to come back to the studio. It seemed that Mr Wellman didn't like the script at all and wanted to change the whole thing. Veiller said "If you want to do it, go ahead", but the studio was a little leery that I might not know enough about dialogue, so they put
Stuart Walker on it to assist me with that end of it. I stuck Stuart in the sound booth again, and he didn't say a word through the whole thing... From the beginning it was clearly understood on all sides that I was the director of The Eagle and the Hawk, and it was Stuart Walker who was assisting me. When we finished, however, Stuart pointed out a clause in his contract that stated he would always get full directorial credit no matter what, and since I didn't have any contract at all, there was nothing I could do about it. The studio was just as furious as I was. Now I happened to know that Stuart had his heart set on
Wiegenlied (1933) and
Die schwarze Majestät (1934). I didn't know anything about Cradle Song but when the studio asked me what I wanted to do next, I said Cradle Song just to get back at Stuart. After I'd been shooting that a couple of weeks, they asked me what I wanted next and I said Death Takes a Holiday. Those turned out to be two of my favorite pictures, so at least Mr Walker had good taste, even though he couldn't direct a picture."
Fredric March was interviewed for the book and verified this also. When Paramount reissued "The Eagle and The Hawk" in 1939, after Leisen had already become a renowned director, they rewrote the advertising to say "Directed by Stuart Walker and Mitchell Leisen."
