Originally intended to be a television series pilot, this movie was shown on television as a movie-of-the-week, and released theatrically overseas.
In Brazil, the film is dramatically titled as A Satânica Madame Sin, literally translated to english as The Satanic Madame Sin, although nor Satan, his cult and worshipers are part of the plot, giving to the film a weird horror connotation for many years. Most recently the brazilian title was changed to Madame Sinistra, literally translated as Sinister Madam.
Bette Davis previously played another ''madame'' titled character, as Madame Elizabeth McQueeny, in the televisions series Wagon Train (1957).
During filming Robert Wagner asked Bette Davis to shoot a trailer for the film. It turned out to be a ruse to get her in place for an edition of This Is Your Life (1970) about her. Various past co-stars and directors traveled for the surprise, broadcast on March 14 1971, which Davis later said made her feel like she had been to her own funeral.