The story, though fictional, is loosely based on the real-life murder spree of Charles Starkweather and his girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, in 1958, though that basis was not acknowledged when the film was released.
Ceritanya, meskipun fiksi, berdasarkan pada serangkaian pembunuhan nyata Charles Starkweather dan pacarnya, Caril Ann Fugate, pada 1958, meskipun dasar tersebut tak diketahui saat film tersebut dirilis.