Garson Kanin originally wanted to direct his own script but could not get a commitment from studio chief Harry Cohn in writing guaranteeing him final cut. He ultimately sold the story outright to Cohn and went to Europe for three years.
Film debut of Jack Lemmon.
The $210 billboard on Columbus Circle would be worth $1680 a month in 2010.
The background music playing during the scene when Peter Lawford is trying to romance Judy Hollidayis also used during several scenes in From Here to Eternity .
The production had a 10-day location shoot in New York City in early July, 1953.
The site of the "Gladys Glover" billboard in Columbus Circle is now occupied by the new AOL-Time Warner Building.
The sports car that Peter Lawford is driving is a 1952 Jaguar XK120.
This story was conceived when Garson Kanin, trying to cheer up his wife Ruth Gordon, was driving by Columbus Circle. He told her he was going to put her name on "that billboard there" in the biggest letters. He didn't. He wrote a screenplay instead. Gordon suggested that the lead should be Judy Holliday. Kanin had originally considered a male lead, Danny Kaye. When he finished the screenplay, the lead had been written for Holliday.