"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on
September 11, 1950 with Olivia de Havilland reprising her film role.
Ralph Richardson reprised the role of Dr. Sloper from the stage version, having played it in London's West End opposite Peggy Ashcroft.
Ginger Rogers was first offered the leading role but turned it down.
Olivia de Havilland wisely chose William Wyler as her director, considering that such a meticulous director would be able to coax a strong performance from her. As it turned out, Wyler became a staunch supporter of his leading actress, particularly in regard to the sneering attitude that Montgomery Clift displayed toward her (he didn't value her talents as an actress) and Ralph Richardson taking every opportunity to steal scenes from under her nose with his improvisations.
Betty Linley reprised her role of "Mrs. Montgomery" from the original Broadway production.
Montgomery Clift learned to play the piano for the scene where he sings, "The Joys of Love" to Olivia de Havilland.
In a letter to the New York Times, Aaron Copland denied having composed the music used for the opening credits. His composition for the credits was deemed too challenging for audiences and was replaced at the request of the producer.
In his autobiography, Basil Rathbone lamented that he did not get the part of Dr Sloper in the film, following his performance in the play in New York, opposite Wendy Hiller. Had he been cast, and had Errol Flynn won the part of Morris Townsend as originally planned, this would have been a re-teaming of all three main stars from the film classics, "Captain Blood" (1935) and "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938.
In Italian, the actors are dubbed by: Lidia Simoneschi (Olivia De Havilland); Giulio Panicali (Montgomery Clift); Sandro Ruffini (Ralph Richardson); Andreina Pagnani (Miriam Hopkins); Rosetta Calavetta (Vanessa Brown); Miranda Bonansea (Mona Freeman) and Gaetano Verna (Ray Collins).
On September 29, 1947, the original Broadway play "The Heiress" by Ruth Goetz and Augustus Goetz opened at New York's Biltmore Theater starring Wendy Hiller and Basil Rathbone. The stage play ran for 410 performances.
One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by MCA ever since.
The original idea was to reteam Olivia de Havilland with her frequent co-star Errol Flynn, but this was dropped in favor of the more subtle acting that Montgomery Clift could bring to the role.
This film was selected to the National Film Registry, Library of Congress, in 1996.
To help Olivia de Havilland achieve the physically and emotionally weary and worn effect that he wanted, director William Wyler packed books into the suitcases that the actress lugged up the staircase in the scene where her character realizes that she has been jilted by her lover.