Because of the presence of Boris Karloff, and the slight science fiction (for the time) angle of the story, this minor film was included in Univeral's "Shock Theater" package of films released to television. From the late 1950s into the 1970s, this film was widely shown on those television stations that were running the old Universal horror films.
Character actor Lloyd Corrigan, an inexperienced director, had replaced Sidney Salkow, who had replaced Arthur Lubin, who had replaced Ralph Murphy.
The movie was made because although the new owners of Universal Studios in 1936 were convinced that the horror genre was commercially dead, they inherited a contract stipulating Boris Karloff's participation in one more film. Carl Laemmle Jr. had signed him to this contract after the success of Frankenstein, so, not knowing what other genre to put him in, they commissioned a story that would give him a suitable role but stipulated it would not be a horror film.
The restaurant in which Jean Mallory (Jean Rogers) works is a recycled set from the 1934 version of "Imitation of Life." The cashier's booth where Rogers is seen was used in "Imitation of Life" as the spot in which Fredi Washington was working when her mother came to the restaurant and "outed" her as Black.
This B picture was shot in 27 days for $192,000. This was 6 days and $17,000 over the initial budget and due to director Lloyd Corrigan's inexperience and star Boris Karloff's insistence that union rules regarding an 8-hour day be obeyed.