This was something of a catastrophe for MGM. Filming began early in 1963, but Henry Hathaway resigned as director and Bryan Forbes, who had a prominent supporting role, did a week of directing before also leaving the film. He tried without success to have his credit as writer of the screenplay removed and was replaced as an actor by Jack Hedley. (However, Forbes can be glimpsed, more or less as an extra, in one or two scenes.) Ken Hughes finished the film and reportedly had a very bad time; the film was many months in the editing rooms and was not seen until late in 1964, nearly a year after its scheduled release date. It ran for only 99 minutes - a surprise, as the novel is about 800 pages. It was a commercial and critical disaster, being released in the UK on the lower half of a double-bill. It has only infrequently been seen since, even on TV.
Robert Morley declared that he was happy to be directed by someone like Henry Hathaway - so sweet, so kindly with actors, such a gentleman.
Ken Hughes replaced director Henry Hathaway, who claimed he quit after just one day's filming with Kim Novak.
Original director Henry Hathaway had wanted Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift as his leads; this was in the 1950s, many years before the film was eventually made. At that time, the plan was to make it in a Hollywood studio. By the time this version actually got under way, Monroe was dead and Clift's career nearly over.
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