This movie was the first remake of Mario Monicelli's "Big Deal on Madonna Street" (Diebe haben's schwer (1958)). The second would be Safecrackers oder Diebe haben's schwer (2002). Both American movies, that remake was set in Cleveland, Ohio, whereas this remake was set in San Francisco, California. The two remakes were made around eighteen years apart.
"Big Deal on Madonna Street" (Diebe haben's schwer (1958)), which this film is a remake of, was also the inspiration for the 1986 Broadway Musical "Big Deal" by Bob Fosse. Fosse was also inspired by other classic Italian films for his musical repertoire including Federico Fellini's Die Nächte der Cabiria (1957) and Achteinhalb (1963), the basis for Sweet Charity (1969), and Nine (2009) respectively, as well as Woody Allen's Stardust Memories (1980).
Filmed entirely on location in The Mission District in San Francisco with many of the artwork seen on the buildings in the film still there to this day.
Director Louis Malle during filming told his then wife Candice Bergen, "Why am I even doing this film?" to which Bergin replied "Then don't do it".
Second of four collaborations of actor Wallace Shawn and director Louis Malle. The others were Atlantic City, USA (1980), Mein Essen mit André (1981) and Vanya - 42. Straße (1994).