What 1949 film is linked to Salinger's later refusal of screen adaptations?

The 1949 film linked to J. D. Salinger’s later refusal of screen adaptations was *My Foolish Heart*.

The film was adapted from Salinger’s 1948 short story “Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut.” It was produced by Samuel Goldwyn and directed by Mark Robson, with Dana Andrews and Susan Hayward in the leading roles. The movie substantially changed the story, turning its restrained emotional conflict into a more conventional Hollywood melodrama.

Critics reacted harshly, describing the film as sentimental and overly commercial. Salinger was reportedly so dissatisfied with the result that he never again allowed another film adaptation of his work, including *The Catcher in the Rye*. That history makes the film a crucial part of Salinger’s reputation for protecting his fiction from Hollywood.

A common mix-up is to identify *The Catcher in the Rye* itself as the film connection. The novel was never authorized for a movie; *My Foolish Heart* was the earlier adaptation that shaped Salinger’s refusal.