In 1959, Fredric March was accorded the honor of reading the Gettysburg Address to a joint session of Congress on the 150th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. He accepted this role under the condition that the shooting schedule accommodate the Congressional performance. The film makers agreed.
In an article in the 12 March 1957 edition of Daily Variety, when Columbia won the bidding for the film rights to Chayefsky's play, the studio considered Spencer Tracy, Ernest Borgnine, and James Cagney for the lead.
When Jerry says he pays $240 per month in rent, that amount would equate to over $2,511 in 2023.