Shot in 12 days.
In a small role as a "hospital doctor" is Fred Demara, otherwise known as Ferdinand W. Demara, whose own life story was being depicted that same year in The Great Impostor (1960) starring Tony Curtis.
Taking a page from William Castle, this film was advertised with a gimmick called "Hypno-Magic." During Desmond's act, the audience could participate with the audience shown in the film.
Several gimmicks surrounding this film were used in theaters to promote it. At some, balloons with an eye painted on them, similar to those given to the theater patrons in the film, were handed out to the movie theater audience. Another was a card with a black dot on it; theater goers would hold the card two to three inches from their face and watch the spot as moved into the hypnotic eye. At least one theater warned customers with faint hearts to avoid seeing the film, offered free medical supplies in the lobby, and provided free admission to nurses, doctors and undertakers.
The old poet at the beatnik bar was played by Lawrence Lipton, father of James Lipton, host of the "Inside the Actors Studio" television series.