Kirk Douglas's trumpet licks were performed by Harry James, who also taught Douglas the correct fingering of the instrument.
While making this film, Kirk Douglas tried to warn Doris Day about taking financial advice from her then manager Martin Melcher. Douglas had gotten burned by Melcher, and thought Day naive to be so trusting of him. Not only did Day ignore Douglas' advice, she later married Melcher and, after his death in 1968, discovered that he had both squandered the fortune she had earned during her 20-year film career, and left her seriously in debt to the IRS.
The film contains a reference to homosexuality, although the Hays Office--the industry's censor--required any mention of it be subtle. The character of Amy (Lauren Bacall) is lesbian, which is why Rick (Kirk Douglas) walks out on her, telling her that she is "a very sick girl." The exchange between Amy North and Miss Carson (Katharine Kurasch) after Amy's party, and their facial expressions, indicate this:
Amy North: "I'm dying to see the rest of your sketches."
Miss Carson: "We'll have dinner out and then go back to my place."
Many decades later, Bacall told a Turner Classic Movies interviewer that the reference was so subtle (and she was then so young and naive) that she didn't understand until years later that the character she played was supposed to be lesbian. This is one of three mainstream movies from 1950 to reference lesbianism, the others being "All About Eve" and "Caged," according to "The Celluloid Closet" by Vito Russo.
Miss Carson: "We'll have dinner out and then go back to my place."
Many decades later, Bacall told a Turner Classic Movies interviewer that the reference was so subtle (and she was then so young and naive) that she didn't understand until years later that the character she played was supposed to be lesbian. This is one of three mainstream movies from 1950 to reference lesbianism, the others being "All About Eve" and "Caged," according to "The Celluloid Closet" by Vito Russo.
The three main actors all proved to be remarkably long-lived. All were around to celebrate the 64th anniversary of the movie's release. Lauren Bacall passed away in August of 2014 at the age of 89. Both Kirk Douglas and Doris Day were around for the film's 69th anniversary. Day passed in May of 2019 at the age of 97. Douglas was the sole survivor when he passed less than a year later in February of 2020 at 103.
The film was a reunion of sorts for Lauren Bacall and Hoagy Carmichael, who co-starred six years previously in her first film, To Have and Have Not (1944).
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