Darryl F. Zanuck initially promised the Breen Office that the word "impotent" would not be used, but it ultimately was used in the film.
Howard Hawks was the first to option the film rights in the early 1950s and proposed Ann Harding, Montgomery Clift and Margaret Sheridan as the stars. He eventually sold the rights to Darryl F. Zanuck.
Ann Harding and Constance Bennett both tried unsuccessfully to option Ernest Hemingway's novel in the 1930s.
John Gavin screen-tested for the role of Pedro Romero.
Juliette Gréco was noticed by Mel Ferrer and wife Audrey Hepburn singing in a Parisian nightclub, and they introduced her to Darryl F. Zanuck, who was so taken with her that he cast her in the film and had her part enlarged. She went on to star in two additional Zanuck productions.
A recent Australian documentary on his life and career, narrated by Christopher Lee, included a film clip of Errol Flynn being interviewed on his being nominated for the Academy Award for his critically acclaimed performance in The Sun Also Rises. We are then told that the nomination "disappeared".
As detailed in his autobiography, "The Kid Stays in the Picture", both cast and crew, Ernest Hemingway, Tyrone Power, and Ava Gardner included, attempted to have Robert Evans fired during production. Producer Darryl F. Zanuck refused, saying, "The kid stays in the picture," thus leading to both Evans' long career as a producer and the title of his book.
Fans of Tyrone Power were shocked by his tired and aged appearance in the movie, since he was only 42 at the time of filming. Years of chain smoking cigarettes and drinking heavily had taken a toll on his looks. In addition he was reportedly taking pills so he could survive with only three hours sleep every night.
The film received poor reviews due to the slow pace and the fact that all the stars were much older than the characters they played.