Wissenswertes

According to "Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood" by Robert S. Birchard, the 96-minute version of the film was only shown at a test screening in Huntington Park, California, on December 15, 1933. That version, including Claudette Colbert's nude scene, was seen by a test audience composed mostly of kids who were there waiting to see the war aviation movie Ace of Aces (1933). Audience feedback stated the movie was too long by ten minutes, and that further character set-up was necessary. To accommodate this DeMille added in the opening blurb that the movie was filmed on real locations and he included brief bios for each of the four frightened people. DeMille then screened the movie and decided that the test audience was correct, and cut a "thousand feet" from the film, resulting in the 17 minutes cut from the test version. So then the 96-minute "longer" cut was never actually shown to a mass audience; the only certain thing about it was that it included sequences with Ethel Griffies, who played the mother-in-law of Arnold Ainger (Herbert Marshall).

During Claudette Colbert's bath sequence, a stand-in was used for the long shots; according to Cecil B. DeMille and quoted in "Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood": "Girl under waterfall wears Annette Kellerman bathing suit, and all parts of body are covered." This was a form-fitting bodysuit which simulates nudity; however, Claudette Colbert did indeed appear topless in her closeups during the scene.

Filming delays while on location in Hawaii, recorded by production secretary Emily Barrye, included a noisy camera, a broken mechanical cobra, Claudette Colbert becoming ill, and temperamental behavior on the part of Mary Boland.

Claudette Colbert was still filming Torch Singer (1933) when pre-production began on this film, and the shooting schedule was tailored accordingly so as not to interfere.

This film was a notorious flop for Cecil B. DeMille, not even recouping its costs back. Paramount suggested that he then return to his last success, The Sign of the Cross, (1932) and create something in that vein. That led to his making Cleopatra (1934).