David Niven was due to join the British Army but was given a 21-day grace period to finish his scenes for the movie. The production crew worked double time and filmed Niven's scenes first to comply with his obligation to start his military service.
Sidney Howard died before production began, and he may not have been involved in the preproduction planning. His 1930 screenplay was the basis of this screenplay and he is credited onscreen with John Van Druten for "screenplay."
A modern source also includes in the cast Olaf Hytten, Douglas Gordon, John Graham Spacey, Harry Allen and David Thursby, but they were not seen in the film.
Although the movie was based on the 1899 novel by E.W. Hornung, he also co-wrote a play (called "Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman") with Eugene Wiley Presbrey, who staged it in New York. It opened on Broadway on 27 October 1903 with Clara Blandick as Gwendolyn, and it had 168 performances, closing in March, 1904.