After making this film, Adolphe Menjou, a very vocal anti-communist, was asked why he agreed to work with director Edward Dmytryk, who had been blacklisted for his communist sympathies. Menjou replied, "Because I'm a whore".
This marked director Edward Dmytryk's return to directing after being blacklisted and serving time in prison for contempt of Congress when he refused to name names of his Communist associates to the House Un-American Activities Committee. As "punishment" for his earlier association with Communist groups, Dmytryk was assigned to direct Adolphe Menjou, who had been one of the most fervent supporters of HUAC in Hollywood. Despite their history of political differences, the two got along fairly well during filming.
Although the real street names are not used, locations are accurately represented as to their geographic proximity to each other on San Francisco's Telegraph Hill; Eddie (Arthur Franz) lives in the 400 block of Filbert, between Grant Avenue and Kearny, directly opposite Varennes, which is the narrow alley through which he runs; Jean (Marie Windsor) lives on Calhoun Terrace within walking distance of the Paper Doll Club where she works, which was located at 524 Union St., one block south of Filbert.
The tall man on the left in the second police lineup is Jesse White, most popularly known as the original "Maytag Repairman" in Maytag washer and dryer TV commercials.
Arthur Franz showed up to the interview with just producer Stanley Kramer present, but he was so impressed he called in director Edward Dmytryk, and both thought Franz was right for the Eddie Miller part.