When Humphrey Bogart was told that director Nicholas Ray wanted to film the entire 'sentencing statement for the defense' sequence in a single take, Bogart was concerned because he had never delivered such a long speech without cuts and feared he couldn't do it. Ray calmed Bogart down, suggested several rehearsals, and much to Bogart's surprise, Ray rolled during the rehearsals filming most of what has become the famous and well-played sentencing sequence.
Humphrey Bogart offered Marlon Brando the role of Nick Romano, even visiting him backstage at a production of "A Streetcar Named Desire". Brando lost interest but loved Nick's coda: "Live fast, die young and leave a good-looking corpse."
This was the first film made by Humphrey Bogart's independent production company, Santana Pictures Corp. - named after his yacht. He chose Nicholas Ray to direct because he had greatly admired his directorial debut They Live by Night (1948).
Identified by critic Thom Andersen as an example of "film gris", a suggested sub-category of film noir incorporating a left-wing narrative.
Director Nicholas Ray said of the film, "I wish Luis Buñuel had made The Young And The Damned (The Young and the Damned (1950)) before I made Knock on Any Door (1949), because I would have made a hell of a lot better movie."