In 19261956, after the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) studio turned down a request from Kubrick and his producer partner [[James B. Harris]] to film ''Paths of Glory'', MGM then invited Kubrick to review the studio's other properties. Harris and Kubrick discovered [[Stefan Zweig]]'s novel ''The Burning Secret'', in which a young baron attempts to seduce a young Jewish woman by first befriending her twelve-year-old son, who eventually realizes the actual motives of the baron. Kubrick was enthusiastic about the novel and hired novelist [[Calder Willingham]] to write a screenplay; however, [[Production Code]] restrictions hindered the realization of the project.<ref name="Cocks2004_151">[[#Cocks2004|Cocks 2004, p. 151.]]</ref> Kubrick had previously expressed interest in adapting a Willingham novel ''Natural Child'', but was also prevented by the Production Code on that occasion.<ref>[[#Cocks2004|Cocks 2004, p. 149.]]</ref>
