Director John Farrow considered Ernest Borgnine for the role that went to Rod Steiger according to a contemporary article in The Hollywood Reporter during the film's pre-production in March 1956.
According to a contemporary article in the Los Angeles Times, RKO production chief William Dozier considered Shelley Winters and Anthony Franciosa, who had just gotten married at the time, for the leads in this film.
Ethel Barrymore was originally signed to play the role of Emma, in what would be her first film in over two years, but dropped out due to concerns over the heat at the location shooting, according to a contemporary article in the New York Times.
This was the second of a three-film contract Diana Dors had with RKO. The first film she made, I Married a Woman (1958) wasn't released until 1958 and the third picture was not made due to RKO going out of business.
Made by John Farrow at the RKO Radio Pictures studios in the fall of 1956, with RKO as the intended distributor. But by the time the film was ready for release in early 1957, RKO had ceased all operations and, along other films, still remaining unreleased in the RKO vaults (including another Diana Dors vehicle, I Married a Woman (1958)). Distribution was taken over by Universal-International.