Although Son of Sinbad (1955) marked Kim Novak's first screen assignment, The French Line was her first released picture in a bit part as a fashion model.
Jane Russell's dance to "Looking For Trouble" was shot in two versions. For the American release, she did her pelvic "bumps" behind a flower planter. For the European release, the "bumps" were done without anything hiding them.
Originally presented in 3-D, with the tagline "See Jane Russell in 'The French Line' - she'll knock BOTH your eyes out!"
Initially, Jane Russell was to have performed her "Lookin' for Trouble" number in a bikini, a bathing suit that was quite racy for 1954. She wore the skimpy outfit for a production still (later reproduced in her autobiography) but complained that she felt "very naked" in front of the movie's crew. Eventually a compromise was reached, and she appeared in the one-piece outfit shown in the movie.
The film's female star was never in doubt, but it took a while to come up with a leading man. One early idea was Peter Finch, who was then under contract to Paramount. When Finch heard that this was a possibility, he sped back to England.