The movie was originally called Pay the Devil. It was Jeff Chandler's last film under his exclusive deal with Universal.
        Albert Zugsmith says the budget was $600,000 much of which was overheard - $375,000 got on screen.
        The part of Virgil Renchler was originally going to be played by Robert Middleton but agents from the William Morris Agency suggested Orson Welles, who badly needed the money ($60,000) to pay back taxes.It was his first Western. During the course of making the film, Welles rewrote sections of the script. He also formed a relationship with Albert Zugsmith who produced Welles' next movie as director, Touch of Evil (1958).

        Filming started October 1956.
        Director Jack Arnold says he had one incident with Orson Welles on Welles' first day of shooting but after that he was "wonderful" to work with and full of good ideas