Hitchcock's path to directing Strangers on a Train was a interesting one to say the least. Having read and loved Patricia Highsmith's debut novel of the same name, Hitchcock stealthily purchased the film rights for her novel at a reduced price of $7,500 (a sum which angered Highsmith).
Then, Hitchcock sought out a writer to create a great script for his film. Writer Whitfield Cook delivered just what Hitchcock wanted from him -- especially in the changes he made to Highsmith's story (for example, Cook included some homoerotic subtext into the film and transformed Bruno into a charming mama's boy) . Hitchcock then courted a number of writers to polish off the screenplay, wanting them to lend credence to his film. He courted writers like John Steinbeck, Thornton Wilder, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Ben Hect, but all of them turned except Chandler turned Hitchcock down (after a while though, Chandler was put off by Hitchcock's strange meeting style).
Nevertheless, Hitchcock was very excited to start on the film. "Pieces of the film were dancing like electrical charges in his brain," a person close to Hitchcock said. Hitchcock's passion definitely showed in the final film. It was exceptionally well-received and was nominated for an Academy Award.
