After the expensive box-office failure of The Pirate (1948), director Vincente Minnelli worked hard to cut corners on this film, fearing he might be accused of extravagance. However, he devoted a great deal of time to the ball sequence, which he regarded as the most important scene in the film; he even had composer Miklós Rózsa compose the waltz theme used in it well in advance of the start of filming.
The Breen Office opposed the film, saying that it had too many controversies and innuendo; everything from the make-up to the kissing scenes had to be slightly toned down to appease the censors.
The bed in one of the hotels is the boat bed from The Phantom of the Opera (1925). It was re-used for this film as well as Sunset Boulevard (1950).
Vincente Minnelli originally wanted James Mason for the role of Rodolphe, eventually played by Louis Jourdan, but Mason instead took the role of author Gustave Flaubert in the framing story.
Van Heflin was the only one of the leading actors in this MGM film who was actually under contract to the studio at the time.