Production began with Louis Calhern playing Col. Purdy, but Calhern died after more than a month of filming. Paul Ford was quickly recruited, as he had created the role on Broadway, and this resulted a revived career for the lovable, irascible character actor.
Marlon Brando's performance was so convincingly Japanese that many theater exhibitors reported moviegoers demanding their money back because Brando never appeared on screen.
There was a rivalry between Glenn Ford and Marlon Brando on the set, since both had different way of acting. Brando loved improvisational techniques, whilst Ford did not. So, Ford decided sometimes to destabilize Brando by improvising himself. But director Daniel Mann got upset because of those childish games between the two stars and ordered them to stop.
Producers begged Glenn Ford to take a plane, instead of a ship, to get from Japan to the USA, to proceed with shooting in the studios. He was afraid of flying. He eventually took a plane despite his fears, but the plane had an engine issue that resulted in him almost not reaching LAX airport. He then swore that he would never get into a plane again.
The original Broadway production of "The Teahouse of the August Moon" by John Patrick opened at the Martin Beck Theater in New York on October 15, 1953, ran for 1027 performances and won the 1954 Tony Award for the Best Play. Paul Ford recreated his stage role in the movie version.