The role of "Ben" was portrayed by actor Ben Dova. This was the stage name of actor, comedian and acrobat Joseph Spah who was a survivor of the Hindenburg disaster of 1937. He was not only a survivor, but a person of interest. During the flight, he was granted access to the interior of the airship, off-limits to passengers, so he could feed and walk his dog who was kept in the cargo area. Because of this, he was heavily investigated after the disaster, but eventually exonerated. In every documentary, movie, and literature about the Hindenburg, Joseph Spah is prominently featured.
Many of the crew members from this film went on from this production to work on John Sayles' Hello baby (1983) the following year, including cinematographer Michael Ballhaus. Sayles' film was released first in the U.S. while "Dear Mr. Wonderful" premiered in Germany in 1982.