Donald Pleasence was nominated for the 1962 Tony Award (New York City) for Actor in a Drama for "The Caretaker" and recreated his role in this production.
The original Broadway production of "The Caretaker" by Harold Pinter opened at the Lyceum Theater in New York on October 4, 1961, ran for 165 performances and was nominated for the 1962 Tony Award for the Best Play. Alan Bates, Donald Pleasence and Robert Shaw recreated their Broadway roles in this filmed production. The author wrote both the play and the screenplay for the movie version.