The picture was partially funded by production company ''McNichol'' which had been formed by then teenage actress Kristy McNichol, her manager-mother Carolyn McNichol Lucas and their representatives.
Cast members, Brooke Adams and Donald Sutherland, had both appeared the previously year in Phillip Kaufman's remake 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' (1978). Apparently, Adams also appeared uncredited in the same year's film 'The First Great Train Robbery' (1978) which starred Sutherland.
Second and final theatrical feature film collaboration of actor Donald Sutherland and actor-director Paul Mazursky who both had lead roles in this picture. The first had been about nine years earlier with 'Alex in Wonderland' (1970) where both also acted but Mazursky was also the director.
The movie in the USA was originally rated ''R'' by the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America). According to an article published in the 14th February 1979 issue of show-business trade-paper 'Variety', upon an appeal to the Ratings Appeals Board of the MPAA, the picture was re-rated and the movie's rating was down-graded and changed from an ''R'' to a ''PG''.
Part of the movie was filmed in Macau, and a group of Vietnamese refugees (boat people) were hired as extras.