This movie was never released in Québec, Canada. At the time, Québec's movie censorship board (made up entirely of French-speaking Catholics) refused to approve this movie to be shown in Québec's movie theaters. Therefore, it could only be shown in the basements of Québec's Protestant churches.
Because Erfurt, Elberback Cloister, and Eltville Castle were located in Communist East Germany in 1953, the producers chose substitute filming locations in West Germany. Maulbronn Cloister near Stuttgart was substituted for Erfurt. Various spots in Wittenberg substituted for other historical locations. The Wartburg Castle, the site where Luther translated the New Testament into German, was filmed from a distance, since it was located in Communist East Germany. The Diet of Worms assembly hall had to be re-created in the studio, since the real hall was destroyed in World War II.
At the time, this movie was banned in Peru, Egypt, and the Philippines.
Publicity for this movie indicated the producers used the same original Guttenberg press which printed the first Bibles. The press is on permanent display at the Mainz Museum, and was used during a film montage about the spread of Luther's writings.
The music was composed by Mark Lothar and performed by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra.
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