The book was roundly condemned by decency watchdogs, which helped to make it popular. One critic went so far as to number each of the passages he objected to. Still, it was able to be turned into a movie, which managed to tone down most of the objectionable passages.
Released in 1947, the movie stars Linda Darnell, Cornel Wilde, Richard Greene, George Sanders, Glenn Langan, Richard Haydn and Jessica Tandy. It was adapted by Jerome Cady, Philip Dunne and Ring Lardner Jr, and directed by Otto Preminger and John M. Stahl.
The movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Original Music Score.