1942. The Ladd/Lake pairing works at a personal level – the two actors hit it off with each other. In her autobiography, Veronica recalls:
Both of us were very aloof people. We were a good match for each other. It enabled us to work together very easily and without any friction or temperament. Naturally, the public linked us romantically. But neither of us cared what the public conjured up about us. And we were just as indifferent to the studio’s sly attempts to perpetuate the romantic rumors. It’s all part of the game in enticing the public into the theatre, and the Ladd-Lake billing proved to be a powerful lure. Alan laughed easily and we’d occasionally sit and swap stories.