Federico Fellini cast film editor Leo Catozzo as the "man with the sack" and wanted to keep that sequence in the release print over the objections of producer Dino De Laurentiis. De Laurentiis thought the scene slowed the film down and finally resorted to stealing the scene from the editing room. According to DeLaurentiis, about 5-7 years after its original release, Fellini rang him and begged to get the scene back, so he could restore it. As the movie had now achieved a classic status, the producer agreed.
During the editing of this film, editor Leo Catozzo developed the CIR self-perforating adhesive tape splicer (also known as "Costruzione Incollatrici Rapide," "the Cattozzo," Guillotine-, CIRO-, or ARRI Splicer), which made him rich in the 1960s and for which he won an Academy Award in 1990.
The name of the famous actor that Cabiria meets early in the film is Alberto Lazzari. This is an intentional play on Amedeo Nazzari, the name of the actor who played Alberto. Nazzari was one of Italy's most famous actors during the time and heavily resembled his character in the film.
According to Federico Fellini's assistant, Dominique Delouche, actor François Périer was hired so the film could get financing as a French co-production.
Federico Fellini: [vaudeville] The entire hypnotist stage act segment is among many vaudeville references in Fellini's films.