Quiz

The lighthouse in the film and its source novel was inspired by the real lighthouse at the island of Isla de los Estados in the Argentinian territory of the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago situated near Cape Horn.

The movie was a commercial failure at the international box office.

The lighthouse tower seen in the movie was built on location at Cap de Creus near Cadaqués, Catalonia. Cap de Creus is the easternmost point of Catalonia and therefore of the Iberian Peninsula. Despite being temporary, the tower would remain standing for many years. The work of a mason from Cadaqués, Pere Clavaguera, that lighthouse was not demolished until 1998, although there were voices that demanded its conservation. In the place where it had been erected, the City Council of Cadaqués placed a commemorative plaque.

The project was re-activated in the late 1960s by Bryna, Kirk Douglas' production company. Douglas hired Kevin Billington to direct in March 1970. Douglas did it as a co-production with Alexander Salkyind's Vulkano Productions. National General Pictures agreed to distribute. Finance was mostly raised from a bank in Spain. It involved people from France, Spain and Italy. Billington said "there are about twenty-three co-production deals; there are problems about casting and about language." Douglas said he was paid "a lot of money," estimated at being US $1 million.

Upon initial release the film was noted for its exotic cinematography and applauded because of the inherent difficulties of shooting on rocky outcrops, and also at night far away from civilization. Most of the movie was filmed in Spain.