Trivia

Richard Burton, who was suffering from back pain and pinched nerves, recorded his eight monologues in one day.

The producers were very glad when the movie received an R rating, as they were worried the extensive full frontal male nudity would qualify it for an X rating. Three versions were filmed of the final scene of Peter Firth in the barn; one where he was completely naked and repeatedly shown full frontal, a second version where he was only filmed naked from the waist up for television versions, and a third version where he was not shown naked at all in case the censors would not allow any nudity. Sometimes when this movie is shown on television, the scene is heavily edited, or the picture is cropped in such a way that Firth's penis and scrotum are not shown.

Richard Burton had hoped this movie would lead to a major comeback in his career. Although Burton received an Oscar nomination for his performance, the movie itself was a notorious flop. Burton subsequently only received offers for minor movies, and was never again a bankable star.

Sir Anthony Hopkins, who had played Dr. Dysart in the original Broadway run in 1974-1975, was considered for this movie, but had signed for A Bridge Too Far (1977).

Playwright Sir Peter Shaffer adapted his play for this movie and wrote the screenplay. Shaffer, who was on-set watching off camera, was horrified by the way Sidney Lumet directed the final scene in the stables, claiming he had made it like the shower scene in Psycho (1960).