The sexual subtext between José and Nicholas was not allowed to be shown in this movie due to censorship.
This was the second film that Dirk Bogarde made with director Philip Leacock. Their first collaboration had been on Raiders in the Sky (1953). It was also the second film that Bogarde made with child actor Jon Whiteley. They had previously acted together in The Stranger in Between (1952). Whiteley had also worked with director Leacock before on The Little Kidnappers (1953), in a role which earned him a miniature Academy Award for his "Outstanding Juvenile Performance."
Was one of the most popular films at the British box office in 1957. According to Kinematograph Weekly, the film was "in the money" at the British box office in 1957.
There were also two other adaptations of the story, for Brazilian television: Nicholas (1958) and O Jardineiro Espanhol (1967).