Gloria Swanson (as Sadie) swore several times on screen, but as the title cards don't reflect this and the film is silent, it was released without censorship.
Stills from the original shoot had to be used to approximate the eight-minute last reel because it had decayed while in storage.
The musical version of Sadie Thompson opened at the Alvin Theater on November 16, 1944 and ran for 60 performances.
The play, written by John Colton and Clemence Randolph, opened on Broadway in New York City, New York on 7 November 1922 and had 256 performance with Jeanne Eagels as Sadie. There were 2 New York revivals, the last in 1935 with Tallulah Bankhead as Sadie.