Jane Russell reports that director Josef von Sternberg was nasty to the crew, and would make insulting remarks about her and Robert Mitchum to each other, such as "what are we going to do with this beautiful stupid girl." Although Sternberg threatened Mitchum that he could be put off the picture, in the end it was the director who was replaced by Nicholas Ray.
After rough-cut screenings and a preview in Pasadena, California, executive producer Samuel Bischoff ordered extensive retakes. Director Josef von Sternberg refused to make them, so Robert Stevenson directed the retakes done in February 1951 and Nicholas Ray directed the additional scenes and retakes that were done in July and August of 1951. Mel Ferrer also directed one day of shooting in July 1951 as well.
According to TCM's Eddie Muller, RKO's owner Howard Hughes gave second unit director Richard Davol a budget to shoot b-roll backgrounds and establishing shots for this picture that included anticipated "bribe" money. The budgeted funds were quickly exhausted as it seemed every official at the time, from government minister to sampan operator needed to be paid before a foot of film could be shot. Davol ended up paying some of the bribes himself, but was refused reimbursement from RKO accountants as there was no good way to put this expense on the books, legally. So Davol withheld all the film he shot until Hughes reimbursed him personally.
Gloria Grahame did not want to be in this movie; Howard Hughes admitted that he never saw her previous performance opposite Humphrey Bogart in the film Le violent (1950), which is today unanimously considered among her finest performances. When Grahame asked to be loaned out to make George Stevens's Une place au soleil (1951), Hughes turned down her request and forced her to make this movie (she reportedly dryly told her then-husband and uncredited director Nicholas Ray, who she was in the process of divorcing, that she wouldn't ask for alimony if he could get her out of this movie). Grahame later stated that she intentionally over-acted out of hatred for Hughes.
This film was a flop at the box office, resulting in a loss to RKO of $700,000 ($6.82M in 2020) according to studio records.