"Fra Diavolo" represented a dream project for Hal Roach, who had seen the play as a boy. The fact that the play's rights were in public domain was an added incentive to the producer.
Stan Laurel always referred to this film as "Fra Diavolo."
Anita Louise was originally slated for the role played by Lucile Brown.
Actor John Qualen is often erroneously credited with the bit role of the owner of the bull. However it is clearly not Qualen in the role nor is it his voice.
Contrary to popular belief and what has been reported in filmographies for years, Wilfred Lucas' scenes as Alessandro have, in fact, not been deleted from the film. In the DVD commentary by Leonard Maltin and Richard Bann, they point out Lucas' role briefly in the opening scene as one of Diavolo's conspirators, hidden behind a false set of whiskers that has kept him from being identified by viewers for years, including in Bann's earlier filmography published in the book "Laurel and Hardy".
In a 1957 radio interview, Stan Laurel said he considered this to be one of the best of the comedy team's movies.
In the wine cellar scene, it is so cold that Ollio's breath can be seen.
In this movie, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are named respectively "Stanlio" and "Ollio". These are the names by which they are still known in Italy.
One of the first movies to have exit music.
The film originally previewed at 117 minutes.
This was Laurel & Hardy's first comic-opera film. The movie's success led to another L&H operetta film, The Bohemian Girl.