After completing the director's cut of Betty Blue (1986), Jean-Jacques Beineix approached Gaumont with a request that he do the same thing for The Moon in the Gutter (1983). The studio however informed Beineix that all the unused scenes from the film had been destroyed. Beineix has said that the original cut of the film was 4 hours long.
Lead actor Gérard Depardieu was unhappy with the finished film and referred to it as "The Film in the Gutter."
Diahnne Abbott, Robert De Niro's then wife, was originally signed to co-star but quit when asked to perform in the nude. Her part was ultimately played by Victoria Abril.