In 1943, Wexley wrote an original screenplay for a film titled Malta. It was due to be produced by Joe Pasternak and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Philip Dorn and Donna Reed were cast to star in the film. In the early 1940s, Wexley had written a screenplay about General Mark W. Clark. The film, titled Advance Agent to Africa, was warned against by the State Department and War Department, apparently due to its accurate descriptions of army tactics. It was cancelled by Paramount Pictures in 1943.
