Shot in 1968, but not released until April 11, 1975 with weekend midnight showings at the Waverly theatre in Manhattan. It only had four showings, with considerably increased audience, when a lawyer confiscated the print with a court judgment for an alleged production debt - thus ending its run.
The photo of a future Chinese leader in the shack, in black suit and tie, was included in the film at the time when Mao was still very much alive and a Chinese leader in capitalistic attire would have been unthinkable.
Bourla turned down an offer by Swifty Lazar to do the film with Jack Lemmon and in color, as he felt that a star would stamp self-importance to the film and the film needed to be shot in black and white. Other suggested actors by various producers included Zero Mostel, Lee Marvin, and Red Buttons.
Dalton Trumbowas a passionate backer of the screenplay of the film and did his best to persuade various producers to produce it. Great deal of interest but no one wanted to do it with Mickey Rooney, who was Bourla's first choice for the role of Noah. It was during one of the long past-midnight meetings between Trumbo and Bourla, when the screenplay of Johnny Got His Gun (1971) was also analyzed and discussed, that Bourla suggested to Trumbo to direct it himself.