Frank Capra wrote in his autobiography that the production was "shaped in the fires of discord and filmed in an atmosphere of pain, strain, and loathing."
At one point, Apple Annie waves across the street to an unseen acquaintance called "Tallulah" who is opening in a play, an in-joke reference to Bette Davis' long-running feud with Tallulah Bankhead.
Shirley Jones signed to star, but Glenn Ford made Frank Capra replace Jones with his then girlfriend Hope Lange.
The animosity that sprang up between Glenn Ford and Bette Davis gave Frank Capra constant blinding headaches, even though he refused to physically intervene in their altercations.
Frank Capra was disappointed with the final result, calling it a "miserable film". He was more than happy with Peter Falk's performance though, referring to it as "the one bright spark".