When not filming with the thirteen-year-old Brandon De Wilde, My Lady (full registered name: My Lady of the Congo) spent all her time with him. My Lady was six months old when she was brought over from England, along with other Basenjis to act as stand-ins. In the agreement to supply the dog, it was written into the contract that My Lady would belong to De Wilde after filming was completed.
The Basenji is a breed of hunting dog that was bred from stock originating in central Africa. Most of the major kennel clubs in the English-speaking world place the breed in the Hound Group; more specifically, it may be classified as belonging to the sighthound type. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale places the breed in Group 5, Spitz and Primitive types, and the United Kennel Club (U.S.) places the breed in the Sighthound and Pariah Group. The Basenji produces an unusual yodel-like sound commonly called a "barroo", due to its unusually shaped larynx. This trait also gives the Basenji the nickname "Barkless Dog".
According to Hedda Hopper's column of August 28, 1955, Director William A. Wellman was planning to cast Vivian Vance and William Frawley (the Mertzes in Lucy ed io (1951)) to play a married couple in a single scene for this film.
Hickory nuts are an edible nut native to the U. S. southeast. They are similar to a walnut in appearance. Like butter nuts and beech nuts, they were first used as food by the indigenous tribes of the region.