Michael McGreevey recounts that Jesse's dream sequence was originally written to feature a guest appearance by Henny Youngman, who used a violin in his act, which suited the subject of the story. Youngman agreed, but withdrew when his wife died one week before filming was to begin. Unable to find another comedian to replace him, the script was about to be rewritten when the casting director suggested Morey Amsterdam, famous for using another string instrument in his act, the cello.