Production Posse: The film was the first of three Judy Holliday made with George Cukor, all with scripts by Garson Kanin. On the later two, Ruth Gordon also collaborated. Their second film together was The Marrying Kind (1952), followed by It Should Happen to You (1954).
What Could Have Been: Garson Kanin wrote that Marilyn Monroe made a screen test for Billie Dawn in 1948 before signing a two-picture contract. Those who saw it thought it was excellent, but Columbia head Harry Cohn did not take the trouble to walk six steps from his desk to his projection room to watch it. Cohn's first choice was his Rita Hayworth. At the time, however, she was heavily involved in an international romance with Aly Kahn. When she wed him and temporarily retired from the screen, Cohn put the project on hold. Other candidates included Jean Arthur, Lucille Ball, Gloria Grahame and Barbara Stanwyck.
Write Who You Know: Garson Kanin claimed that he modeled the part of the obnoxious junk dealer Harry Brock after Harry Cohn, but that the studio chief never realized it.
1993 film
Creator Killer: This was the last film to be produced by Silver Screen Partners.
This film was originally intended to be made by The Cannon Group in 1987 with Walter Matthau, Bernadette Peters and Whoopi Goldberg set to star and with a script by Garson Kanin, who developed the original play. The studio's financial troubles killed this version though it was announced at Cannes.
