William Wellman said that Anne Baxter hated Gregory Peck on the set, but he never explained why. He warned Peck that Baxter would hurt him if they had to fight each other.
Lauren Bacall was meant to play the female lead, but Warner Brothers wouldn't lend her out.
William Wellman was tougher on the set than any actor. Despite the difficulty of the shooting in the Death Valley desert among scorpions, tarantulas and the unbearable heat, Wellman remained unaware of all this and did his job as if there was nothing to interfere.