The first movie directed by Burt Lancaster. Due to the unfavorable critical response he did not direct again for almost 20 years, until The Midnight Man (1974).
Burt Lancaster applied for membership in the Screen Directors Guild in August 1954 but was rejected because he allegedly had expressed opinions about directors regarded as uncomplimentary by the organization. The guild granted Lancaster a waiver to allow him to direct the film and invited him to reapply after it was completed.
The Los Angeles premiere was a benefit for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
The riverboat used in the movie was the Delta Queen. The company spent almost $10,000 to add the fake smokestacks.