Cesare Zavattini originally wrote this script in 1940. It was later published as a novel called "Toto the Good".
Cesare Zavattini's original choice for the film's title was "The Poor are a Disturbance".
To create the special effects for this Italian production, Producer/director Vittorio De Sica imported American special effects specialist Ned Mann. This would be Mann's final project.
Vittorio de Sica's own son, Manuel, personally supervised the restoration of his father's film for DVD release.