In his memoir "The Ragman's Son" Kirk Douglas recounted that John Wayne attended a screening of the film, and was horrified. "Christ, Kirk! How can you play a part like that? There's so few of us left. We got to play strong, tough characters. Not those weak queers," Wayne said. Douglas tried to explain, "It's all make-believe, John. It isn't real. You're not really John Wayne, you know." Wayne (born Marion Morrison) looked at him oddly, as if Douglas had betrayed him.

At Arles, when Paul Gauguin is explaining his philosophy, Vincent mistakes him for Theo saying "but Theo, err Paul..." However, this is in the script. The whole point of the line is that Van Gogh views his conversation with Gauguin as nothing more than an extension of talks he's had with Theo since childhood.

Featured in Van Gogh: Darkness Into Light (1956)