<P> Evans admired Polanski's European films and hoped he could convince him to make his American debut with Rosemary's Baby . He knew the director was a ski buff who was anxious to make a film with the sport as its basis, so he sent him the script for Downhill Racer along with the galleys for Rosemary . Polanski read the latter book non-stop through the night and called Evans the following morning to tell him he thought Rosemary was the more interesting project, and would like the opportunity to write as well as direct it . </P> <P> The script was modeled very closely on the original novel and incorporated large sections of the novel's dialogue and details, so much so that nearly every line of dialogue was taken from the novel's text . Author Ira Levin claimed that during a scene in which Guy mentions wanting to buy a particular shirt advertised in The New Yorker, Polanski was unable to find the specific issue with the shirt advertised and phoned Levin for help . Levin, who had assumed while writing that any given issue of The New Yorker would contain an ad for men's shirts, admitted that he had made it up . </P> <P> Polanski envisioned Rosemary as a robust, full - figured, girl - next - door type, and he wanted Tuesday Weld or his own then - fiancée Sharon Tate for the role . Since the book had not reached bestseller status yet, Evans was unsure the title alone would guarantee an audience for the film, and he felt a bigger name was needed for the lead . Mia Farrow--with only a supporting role in Guns at Batasi (1964) and the then - unreleased A Dandy in Aspic (1968) as her only feature film credits--had an unproven box office track record, but her role as Allison MacKenzie in the popular television series Peyton Place and her unexpected marriage to Frank Sinatra had made her a household name . </P> <P> Patty Duke auditioned for the role of Rosemary Woodhouse but lost out to Mia Farrow . </P>

Who played the female lead role in rosemary's baby