John Braine, the Bradford born author of the original novel, was annoyed that Heather Sears did not reprise her role of Susan from Room at the Top (1958); he also said he had never approved of the casting of Laurence Harvey as Joe Lampton, despite the actor's great success in the role. Braine said that the Joe Lampton he had written about was "a red-blooded Yorkshireman, not a Lithuanian bisexual".
Jean Simmons replaced Heather Sears who had played the role of Susan Brown in the previous film Room at the Top (1958). All the other returning characters from Room are portrayed by the original actors: Laurence Harvey as Joe Lampton, Donald Wolfit and Ambrosine Phillpotts as Susan's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Brown, and Allan Cuthbertson as George Aisgill.
Part of the film was filmed in the Bradford Wool Exchange which is now Bradford's Waterstones Book Shop, on Hustlergate in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England.
The filming location for the Browns' house is now the Hollins Hall Hotel, Golf & Country Club, on Hollins Hill in Baildon, Shipley, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England.
Another filming location is what is now Oakwood Hall Hotel, on Lady Lane in Bingley, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England.