This movie was shot while Barbara Stanwyck was in the process of divorcing Robert Taylor. The movie also features the rising young star Marilyn Monroe. Barbara gives a good performance in one of her most memorable films. Despite her emotional devastation due to the divorce, the crew noted Stanwyck's lack of a diva tantrum. Fritz Lang later said, "She's fantastic, unbelievable, and I liked her tremendously. When Marilyn missed her lines - which she did constantly - Barbara never said a word."
As this was one of Marilyn Monroe's first starring roles, she was still under an acting coach and wanted her on the set to help her in scenes. She would stand behind director Fritz Lang and tell her when a scene was good enough, as opposed to listening to Lang, and when the director saw what was going on he got furious and demanded she leave the set (at the time this coach also worked for 20th Century Fox). After Monroe complained and wouldn't act without her, Lang allowed the coach to return to the set, on the condition that she not direct Monroe.
Robert Ryan also worked in the original 1941 Broadway production, which ran for forty-nine performances at the Belasco Theatre. He played Joe Doyle, the character, portrayed in the movie by Keith Andes.
During filming, Marilyn Monroe's famous nude calendar photographs became public. Reporters and paparazzi constantly hounded and surrounded Monroe to the point of becoming a huge distraction for the production.
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