Trivia: Jason Robards won the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his role of Dashiell Hammett, even though he had only nine minutes of screen time.
Trivia: When Hal Holbrook talks to the press after the heat shield separation we see a model Saturn V in the background. An extra stage has been inserted above the S-II second stage and the mission payload appears to have been augmented too.
Trivia: In this movie, Penny Irving plays Young Mr. Grace's new secretary, Miss Nicholson. In the TV series, she was called Miss Bakewell.
Trivia: Original titles for the film included "Free Popcorn" and "Closed for Remodeling."
Trivia: In the scene where the Lea family get into the funeral limousine by mistake, the three mourners who join them are played by Betty Hare, Winifred Braemar and Bertie Hare, who are the real life siblings of Doris Hare, who plays Mrs Lea.
Trivia: The navy radioman who first receives the emergency signal sent by Captain Gallagher (Jack Lemmon) is played by Chris Lemmon, Jack Lemmon's son.
Trivia: Director John Frankenheimer has a cameo as the television director in the Coliseum control room.