The Rack was originally written for television by Rod Serling who sold the story to MGM for $75,000 . The adaptation was done by Stewart Stern who wrote Rebel Without a Cause and Teresa. Glenn Ford was meant to star, but when MGM decided to put the film into production in late 1955, Ford was tied up with Ransom. Instead the studio cast Paul Newman, fresh off Broadway success in The Desperate Hours and some notable TV appearances. The film was produced by Arthur Leow and directed by Arnold Laven, his first for MGM.; Col Charles M Trammel, who was assistant to the army General Counsel, was technical adviser.
It's not a very good film - a bit worthy, with Newman full of Method mannerisms and a lot of 50s angst. Better suited on the small screen. Lee Marvin is effective though and the film gets points for the guts of a down beat ending. MGM decided to delay release of the film until after Somebody Up there Likes Me, even though the latter film was made afterwards. It didn't work - the film wasn't a hit. Rod Taylor is supposedly in this but bugger if I could see him.
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