The play opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 3 February 1930 and closed in May 1930 after 114 performances. The opening night cast included Walter Walker, Robert Williams and Pierre D'Ennery all of whom are also in the movie, and George MacQuarrie and playwright Donald Ogden Stewart.
The preview time of 75 minutes was reported by the Motion Picture Herald in its issue of 13 June 1931, so that it is possible that footage was added before the general release. In any case, RKO lost $215,000 on the film.