William Holden was eager to star opposite Ingrid Bergman, but when Anthony Quinn bought the rights, he took the lead for himself.
The New York production of "The Visit" by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, adapted by Maurice Valency, opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater (And starred Lunt and Fontanne) in New York on Nov. 29, 1958, ran for 189 performances and was nominated for the 1959 Tony Award for the Best Play.
Ingrid Bergman's only film that she produced besides acting.
A musical version using the same title opened at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway in April 2015. It had a score by John Kander and Fred Ebb with a book by Terence McNally and starred Chita Rivera and Roger Rees. Though highly anticipated after a long workshop process and previous regional productions, the musical was not a success.
This was one of many 1960's movies, which were first announced as a starring vehicle for Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor .