According to director Jules Dassin, Jack Oakie was completely deaf by the time of this film. "He caused absolutely no delays," Dassin said.
The film started production in the San Francisco produce market, through the cooperation of the Wholesale Fruit and Produce Dealers Association. After the studio decided to use the title of the source novel "Thieves' Market" for the film, the Dealers Association strongly protested, and the title was changed.
In his introduction to the film on TCM's "Noir Alley", Eddie Muller stated this was the picture that got him "hooked" on film noir as a young teen while playing hooky from school and seeing it on television.
In a later interview, director Jules Dassin said the shot of the debris field from Ed's wreck was his all-time favorite.
Lee J. Cobb (Mike Figlia) and Morris Carnovsky (Yanko Garcos) were both members of the famous Group Theater (1931-1940) and appeared together in the original Broadway production of Clifford Odets' "Golden Boy", Carnovsky playing the father of the boxer. When the play was made into Golden Boy (1939) with William Holden in his debut feature film role, Cobb played the father.