Five men involved in the making of "Cornered" were later blacklisted for Communist activities: producer Adrian Scott, director Edward Dmytryk, screenwriter John Wexley, and actors Morris Carnovsky and Luther Adler.
The second and last collaboration between Dick Powell and director Edward Dmytryk. Along with Murder, My Sweet (1944), these films transformed Powell's image from that of a light song-and-dance man into a serious "tough guy" actor.
This film was a solid success for RKO, clearing a profit of $413,000 ($7.32M in 2025) according to studio records.
Just before Laurence Gerard is struck a second time with a pistol, Luther Adler's character says to the gun thug, "Casse lui la gueule!", meaning "Beat him up!"