This film's television premiere took place in Los Angeles Friday 19 July 1957 on KTTV (Channel 11); it first aired in Philadelphia 19 August 1957 on WFIL (Channel 6), in Hartford CT 2 September 1957 on WHCT (Channel 18), in Honolulu 27 October 1957 on KHVH (Channel 13), in Phoenix 3 November 1957 on KPHO (Channel 5), in Lubbock TX 15 November 1957 on KCBD (Channel 11), in Norfolk VA 29 November 1957 on WTAR (Channel 3), in Spokane 11 December 1957 on KHQ (Channel 6), in San Francisco 14 February 1958 on KGO (Channel 7) , in Chicago 2 March 1958 on WBBM (Channel 2), and in Seattle 18 April 1958 on KING (Channel 5); Little Jim finally made his way to New York City 16 June 1961 on WCBS (Channel 2).
This film did very poorly at the box office for MGM, resulting in a loss of $640,000 ($8.6M in 2017) according to studio records.
First of two movies in a row that director Fred Zinnemann made with a cast consisting of Jackie 'Butch' Jenkins, Spring Byington, Charles Bates and Gary Gray. The second was My Brother Talks to Horses (1947).
Debut of actress Luana Patten .