Of Vera-Ellen's 14 films released between 1945 and 1957, this was her only movie not to showcase her dancing and also not to receive a contemporary New York Times review. Moreover, this picture was her second and last to be shot in black and white. Her previous monochromatic appearance was in The Marx Brothers frolic Love Happy (1949), a semi-musical.
A lobby card featuring this movie can be seen in a movie theater entrance in A Passage for Trumpet (1960).
Even though this story is fictional, Edward G. Robinson's character, Hans Lobert, was an actual baseball player. He played for five Major League Baseball teams (Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and the New York Giants) over a span of fourteen seasons (1903, 1905-1917) and managed the Philadelphia Phillies. Lobert was immortalized in the 1966 Lawrence Ritter book "The Glory of Their Times". After baseball, he spent the rest of his life in baseball in various capacities and help prepare many minor league players for the majors. In this film, set at the Giants training camp in Florida, Lobert was the Technical Adviser and had two uncredited cameos.
Bob Trocolor was an NFL football player who played backup quarterback for the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Tigers between 1942 to 1944.
Tony Ravish was a minor league catcher. He played from 1940 until 1949. His Last season was with the Springfield Giants, a franchise associated with the NY Giants. Beginning in 1946, he became a minor league manager. His final managerial job was in 1949. He compiled a record of 159 wins and 95 losses in his managing career with the Peekskill Highlanders, Quebec Alouettes, and Springfield Giants. In 1946, his team, the Peekskill Highlanders won the North Atlantic League championship. He served in the Navy during WW2. He went to university at St. Lawrence University (Canton, NY) and was a member of the class of 1940. In 1986, He was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.