Donald Pleasence was nominated for the 1962 Tony Award (New York City) for Actor in a Drama for "The Caretaker" and re-created his role in this movie.
The original Broadway production of "The Caretaker" by Harold Pinter opened at the Lyceum Theater in New York City on October 4, 1961, ran for one hundred sixty-five performances, and was nominated for the 1962 Tony Award for the Best Play. Sir Alan Bates, Donald Pleasence, and Robert Shaw re-created their Broadway roles in this movie. Pinter wrote the play and the screenplay.
Apparently, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Leslie Caron, Peter Hall, Peter Sellers, Harry Saltzman, and Noël Coward were amongst those who helped provide financial backing for this extremely low budget production. With all of the actors, actresses, director, and writer on deferred payment, this cost only thirty thousand dollars.
Cameo: The man wearing the raincoat walking past Davies in the street is Harold Pinter.
Only the film crew were paid initially, the three actors and the director would only get a fee out of the residues if a profit was made.