Title taken from the Irish toast: "May you have food and raiment, a soft pillow for your head; may you be 40 years in heaven, before the devil knows you're dead."
In the original script, Andrew and Hank Hanson were not brothers. Sidney Lumet made this change to increase the drama of the movie.
In the original script, Gina and Andrew Hanson had a child. Sidney Lumet removed this character from the final script.