the budget of the film has been the subject of some speculation. press related figures of $3 million and even $3.5 million were mentioned upon the picture's american release. joe levine later revealed that stanley baker had approached him with a script and budget in 1962, just after the filming of "sodom and gomorrah". levine agreed to finance the picture up to $2 million. according to the records of the british completion bond company, film finance, ltd., the production eventually finalized its budget at £666,554 (approximately, $1,720,000). this included a contingency amount of £82,241, of which only £34,563 had been used by the time the picture had all but wrapped post-production (cost report #15, 18 october 1963). this would have placed the near-final negative cost at £618,876 (approximately $1,600,000).