The film couldn't be shot in the old city centre of Rotterdam, where the story takes place, because almost all historical buildings were destroyed by a German bombardment in World War II.
It was the Netherlands' submission to the 73rd Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Based on the 1923 children's book of the same name by Chris Van Abkoude (also known as Charles Winters). A comic strip and a musical were also adapted from said book.
The movie's original budget of 4.2 million guilders (equivalent to about US $1.7 million or 1.9 million euros at the time) was exceeded by nearly another million, thwarting plans to shoot some harbor scenes in America. Fortunately, the producers spotted a suitable sloping street in the Dutch town of Volendam, to which the vintage Manhattan skyline was added digitally.