Casting well-known Hollywood actress Claudette Colbert proved quite contentious in Great Britain. Many British actors complained that casting Colbert took work away from other worthy British performers.
There were several changes to the script regarding how the Malayan rebels were depicted, due in large part to the real world rebellion between the communist insurgents of the Malayan Races Liberation Army (MRLA) and the newly independent Malayan Union. The film's bandits were ultimately depicted in a violent and unsympathetic light, to reflect British public opinion.
Claudette Colbert impressed Ken Annakin with her detailed technical knowledge of lighting and camera work and confided in Annakin that she had never been called upon to do real action scenes in Hollywood and quickly became adept in small arms use. Annakin says Colbert had an affair with British actor Hubert Gregg while making the movie.
The British version of the film kept the name of the novel, "The Planter's Wife," whilst the American version changed the name to "Outpost in Malaya" after "White Blood" was abandoned.
This is the first of several films in which Claudette Colbert worked outside of the Hollywood studio system.