The first of three movies which Van Heflin
would make for producer Dino De Laurentiis over a two year period, two of which starred De Laurentiis's wife Silvana Mangano, who he was trying to establish an international career for.
Vittorio Gassman, possibly the biggest male star in Italy at the time, plays a one-scene cameo in this film, with special "guest star" billing. Years before, at the start of his film career, he had had a supporting role in another film version of the same Pushkin story, playing the role played in this version by Helmut Dantine.
The African-American playwright Louis Peterson did receive screenplay credit on the English-language version of this film shown in the UK, though possibly not elsewhere. Michael Wilson's contribution, however, was made anonymously - it would be another six years before Wilson finally got off the blacklist. Alberto Lattuada fell ill briefly whilst directing the film, and was replaced for roughly two weeks by, surprisingly, Michelangelo Antonioni, who had not at that time achieved the international renown which he would gain soon afterwards. (The British release of this film came shortly after the London opening of "Le Amiche", the first Antonioni film to be shown - albeit after a four-year delay - in the UK).
Originally announced with Charles Bickford, Olivia De Havilland and Jack Hawkins starring.