This film adaptation was released a year after the novel's publication, on October 8, 1947, with slight changes to the characters. In the novel, a character named "Sailor" rather than Frank Hugo has managed to obtain a deferment from military service. The film makes many details, including those of the blackmail scheme, less sordid, and adopts different names and occupations for the principal non-Mexican characters. Although Gagin's first name is never mentioned in the film, the opening credits read: "Robert Montgomery is Lucky Gagin".