The title, "A Kid For Two Farthings" is a play on the traditional, if optional, song which almost always concludes the Passover Seder. It's called "Chad Gad Yaw: (English approximate pronunciation of the Aramaic). It is often translated as "A Kid For Two Zuzim" (a monetary denomination for which "farthing" is an inspired translation). The events in the song are cumulative as in "The Twelve Days of Christmas", as well as something of a tongue-twister in the original. For more, see "Chad_Gadya" online for more information. At the end of the film, Mr. Kandinsky softly sings fragments of an English translation of the song.
Sidney Gilliat said he wanted to direct the film. He later said "I never would have thought of making it a non Jewish subject. But Carol (director Carol Reed) managed to make the whole thing without a single reference to the character's background or religion at any point. And it was a very Jewish story."
Sam's massive wrestling nemesis is none other than Primo Carnera, who was the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion from 1933-34. Carnera's nickname was the terrifically descriptive---"The Ambling Alp."