A marquee from Loew's Delancy Theater (NYC) advertising Alias Nick Beal starring Ray Milland is shown behind actor Paul Ford near the end of the film.
A young Stanley Kubrick was sometimes present on the set taking photographs for Look magazine
Both Paul Ford and John Randolph were working on the New York stage in the hit drama "Command Decision" (which itself would be produced by MGM as a Clark Gable vehicle) when they appeared in this film, which was shot on location in the city.
Film debut (uncredited) of Nehemiah Persoff's.
Film debut of James Gregory.
Film debut of John Randolph.
Had a sneak preview at the Loyola Theatre in Los Angeles on December 17, 1947.
In the scene where Muldoon and Halloran are shown entering an apartment house on Park Avenue, the awning shows the address "478". The building is actually 480 Park Avenue, one of the residential buildings designed by noted architect Emory Roth.
Life Magazine wrote that this film was producer Mark Hellinger's "personal love letter to New York" and that he was present on every location in New York, checking details and supervising it.
Most of the street scenes were shot on location in New York without the public's knowledge. Photographer William H. Daniels and his uncredited assistant Roy Tripp filmed people on the streets using a hidden camera from the back of an old moving van. Occasionally, a fake newsstand with a hidden camera inside was also set up on the sidewalk to secretly film the actors. Director Jules Dassin hired a juggler to distract the crowds, and also hired a man to occasionally climb up on a light post and give a patriotic speech, while waving an American flag to get the crowd's attention.
Producer Mark Hellinger, who narrates the movie, died of a heart attack before the film was released into theaters. Following Hellinger's death, executives at Universal Studios were ready to scrap the movie. They had no idea how to market it, and feared it would be a box office failure. But Hellinger's family reminded the studio that Hellinger's contract for the film included a "guarantee of release" clause from Universal. Having no choice, Universal released the film in theaters, and were surprised when it became a hit, and received two Oscars.
Shot in eighty-four days during the summer of 1947.
The basic plot of the film was the basis of a case players can solve in the video game, L.A. Noire, released on May 17, 2011 by Rockstar Games. In the game, the story is moved to 1940's Los Angeles.