This film features the highest stunt fall in movie history. Dar Robinson fell from the CN Tower in Toronto, a height of one thousand one hundred seventy feet. His pay was one hundred fifty thousand dollars for the stunt.
This was a boom time for Canadian co-productions, due to new tax breaks. Richard Harris and Christopher Plummer were due to re-team for another Canadian movie "The Burning Book", but this collapsed, due to lack of finance.
The film originally began principal photography in July 1979. Once the filmmakers delivered the first cut, re-shoots were held in early 1981. A version of the film debuted in Europe throughout 1982. U.S. distributor New World acquired the film and significantly re-edited the picture by removing a lot of the comedy before debuting it in August 1984. In addition to editing, New World replaced the original score by John Addison with a more suspenseful score by Christopher Young.
Third of three Canadian movies which Richard Harris made in quick succession, the others being The Last Word (1979), and Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid (1981).