Gentleman's Agreement ?

I'm just guessing I'm on the right director, but figure that's a good director to stick with. If others want to try other movies of his.

no more guesses?

Okay then:

The Sea of Grass?

Nope - sorry I should have said before it's not a Kazan movie. Kazan was one of the first people to role over and provide names for the blacklist almost from the beginning of the McCarthy witch-hunt. Kazan was never run out of the country in fact he worked consistently through that period.

I thought he was blacklisted, but, right, memory was just off about his relation to the blacklisting, it seems!

more hints!

'Gung Ho!': The Story of Carlson's Makin Island Raiders (1943) ?

Good try but no.

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New Hints:

When the director fled to Europe due to the blacklist (<major hint), he began a new film project but was so short on money, and unable to find financing he could not afford to hire another lead actor for his ensemble crime film, so he (out of necessity) played the last role himself.

This director is responsible for creating one of the earliest examples of a particular sub-genre of crime film.

breaking my normal rule of not looking stuff up and looked stuff up:

Eva?

No.

Another Hint:

The DVD is out of print on Criterion and previously the director was noted for his film noirs.

Any more clues?

Bump!

Le Salaire de la Peur?

No, sorry.

Hints:

One of the lead actors (check images) was also famously in 12 Angry Men.

The film's plot centers around a dispute about apples.