Although heavily Hollywoodized, the film is based on real individuals and events. There is a boutique hotel in Yap named after him (O'Keefe's), and the style of construction reflects the architecture of O'Keefe's time.
The British print has a Robert Farnon score conducted by Louis Levy, re-scored in Hollywood by Dimitri Tiomkin. Both versions are occasionally screened on British television.
William Henry "Bully" Hayes (1829 - 1877) was a South Sea pirate born in Cleveland, Ohio. He ran trading missions throughout the South Pacific (including the Marshall Islands, Cook Islands, New Zealand , Australia), specialising in rum and rifles, but he was not averse to "blackbirding" (slaving). He was killed after a violent disagreement and his body was thrown into the ocean. His murderer was never brought to justice.