When John Alton agreed to photograph this picture, he asked producer Benedict Bogeaus how much he had budgeted for rigging, the system of overhead pipes, brackets, ropes and cables that suspends lights over a film set. Bogeaus told him $4,000. "Give me $2,000 above my salary and I won't use any rigging," Alton said. He did it by using almost no overhead lighting at all, contributing to the film's rich visual atmosphere.