Kenyon Nicholson's play, "Torch Song," opened on 27 August 1930 on Broadway in New York City. Guy Kibbee originated the role of Cass Wheeler in that production.
Marjorie Rambeau, who played one of Crawford's fellow showgirls would play Crawford's mother 22 years later and receive an Oscar nomination for her role in a musical film called "Torch Song," ironically, the title of the original story "Laughing Sinners" is based on.
Most of the film was shot with Johnny Mack Brown in the role of Carl when it was decided to drop this footage and reshoot it with Clark Gable.