 This film was almost a box office flop. It performed poorly in its  first few weeks in release. Then news broke out about star Lana  Turners infamous scandal: her affair with mobster Johnny  Stompanato, and his death at the hands of Turners daughter. The  ongoing national coverage of the subsequent murder trial turned the  film into a box office smash. Ironically, Turner had initially  feared the press swirling around the trial would end her career.