According to TCM's Eddie Muller, John Garfield thought this was his best performance and that it was the film of which he was most proud.
According to the memorabilia on the wall, Harry was awarded the Silver Star medal and more than one Purple Heart medal while serving as a U.S. Navy officer on PT boats in the Pacific.
In April 1967, director Sam Peckinpah told a Los Angeles Times interviewer, "This may surprise you, but I admire Michael Curtiz. Especially The Breaking Point (1950), with Phyllis Thaxter and John Garfield."
Even in Southern California, the inclusion of an African American child seen playing on the street with Harry's kids would have been considered daring at the time, as most communities were still largely segregated.