Like many film musicals adapted from stage successes of the time, the plot line and characters of "Sweet Adeline" bear only a faint resemblance to the ones in the original Broadway show.
The following cast members in studio records/casting call lists (with their character names) did not appear in the movie: Jack Mulhall (Bob), Harry Tyler (Louis), Martin Garralaga (Dark young man), Nick Copeland (Prop man), Ferdinand Munier (General Hawkes), Joseph E. Bernard (Waiter) and 'Mary Treen'.
The original musical opened on Broadway, New York City, USA on 3 September 1929 at Hammerstein's Theatre and closed on 22 March 1930 after 234 performances. In the cast were Helen Morgan as Addie and Charles Butterworth as Rupert.