De Carlo signed on for the film in late December 1953.

The film was to be shot entirely in French with no English version, which no Hollywood star had done before.

It was originally called Castiglione and Raf Vallone and Georges Marchall were meant to co-star.

"I thought I deserved better than that, particularly as I studied day and night to perfect myself in the reading of the lines.

That was only one of numerous irksome things which not only I but other people had to put up with in that French production.