Trivia / Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison

• Creator Backlash: John Huston wasn't happy with the finished film, finding it impossible to get right thanks to the Hays Code.
• Fake Irish: Sister Angela is played by the very English Deborah Kerr.
• Friendship on the Set: Robert Mitchum was worried about working with Deborah Kerr, fearing that she would be like the prim characters she frequently played. However, after she swore at John Huston during one take, Mitchum, who was in the water, almost drowned laughing. They would co-star in three more films and formed a lifelong friendship.
• I Am Not Spock: Robert Mitchum was wary of working with Deborah Kerr, thinking she would be as prim and proper as the characters she usually played. When she swore at the director, he nearly drowned laughing. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this film was the start of a lifelong friendship — Kerr was, by Mitchum's own admission, his favourite leading lady.
• Reality Subtext: Sister Angela's speech about how she and Mr Allison have become Fire-Forged Friends. Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum became very close during filming, and remained lifelong friends; she was, by Mitchum's own admission, his favourite leading lady.
• Those Two Actors: Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum worked together on three more films after this.
• Trolling Creator: Knowing the film was being heavily monitored by the National Legion of Decency, Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr ad-libbed a passionate kiss between their characters. It's not in the final film, and was done just to troll the censors.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Marlon Brando was the first choice for Mr Allison. An earlier version was to be made in 1954 with Kirk Douglas in the lead role. John Wayne and Clark Gable were also interested at one point.
  • Donna Reed wanted to play Sister Angela. Her husband Tony Oliver tried to buy the rights to the film, but to no avail.

---