William A. Wellman replaced the original director, William Dieterle, when Dieterle became ill. Michael Curtiz took over as director when Wellman had to start directing College Coach.
The exterior of Alison Drake's house was shot on location at the famous Ennis House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
The pool is the same one that can be seen in the musical number "By a Waterfall" from the Warner Bros. production "Footlight Parade", also released 1933. In this film, the scenes there are photographed with a different camera angle and while reusing the song "Shanghai Lil" from that other film.
The sign on a restaurant window advertises sandwiches "with beer" in large letters. The amendment ratifying the repeal of prohibition had been ratified just weeks prior to the film's release.
When Jack L. Warner saw the initial version of the film, as directed largely by William A. Wellman, he disliked the performance of the actor playing George Cooper, and insisted that all the scenes featuring him be re-shot with Johnny Mack Brown brought in to play Cooper. Because Wellman was no longer available, Michael Curtiz was brought in to direct the re-shot scenes. Curiously, Curtiz ended up getting the only directing credit in the final cut of the movie.