Piper Laurie considered this role her "big break." She later learned she'd been recommended for the part by fellow cast member Bob Richards who played her boyfriend. The two had met years earlier in acting classes. (from the book "Learning to Live Out Loud: A Memoir" by By Piper Laurie, via Google books)
In the climatic finale, Piper Laurie's character takes her mother's portrait off the wall and tosses it. She had been unable to rehearse with the prop (it was their only one) and she didn't realize how heavy it was. When she flung it across the set during the telecast, it slammed into the camera that was shooting her. (from the book "Learning to Live Out Loud: A Memoir" by By Piper Laurie, via Google books)