At one point in the film, Professor Sutwell takes Dolores up in the air for a flight in a small plane. She asks him where he learned to fly, to which he says he was a pilot instructor during World War Two. In real life, Robert Cummings was an accomplished pilot and had in fact served as a WWII military flight instructor.
Although "old fogey" Professor Sutwell knew nothing about beach life, actor Robert Cummings was a competent surfer himself, as documented in personal home movies shot in Hawaii by Hollywood's television host and author Ken Murray.
Although more than one shooting location has been given (often mixed up with various other beach movies) for the beach scenes, the exact spot is about 830 yards east of the intersection where Malibu Rd. splits off from the Pacific Coast Highway, between Point Dume and Malibu Bluffs Park. Satellite views of the coastline confirm the double rock formation just beyond the shoreline seen in many of the outdoor shots.
When Marianne is waiting for Professor Sutwell to return from the beach, she listens to a record album. The label on the record is from 'American International Records', a reference to the production company that made the movie.
Roger Christian and Gary Usher wrote songs for this. They also co-wrote songs with Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, who can be seen as a "surfer boy" on the beach. They would team up with Brian to co-write songs for the next surfer movie Muscle Beach Party (1964). Brian Wilson has an uncredited extra role in this one.