When the forest that Max Reinhardt designed could not be lit properly, cinematographer Hal Mohr thinned the trees slightly, sprayed them with aluminum paint and covered them with cobwebs and tiny metal particles to reflect the light. As a result, he became the first (and only) write-in winner of an Academy Award.
James Cagney's daughter, Cathleen Cagney, has said when she was a child and saw this movie, she was so upset by the scene where her father is turned into a donkey, that they had to bring James out to calm her down.
Mickey Rooney broke his leg during filming, and was wheeled around behind bushes on a bicycle during filming. He was doubled by George P. Breakston in many scenes.
The film was first released at 132 minutes but then trimmed to 117 minutes for its general release. The full 132-minute version wasn't seen again until it turned up on cable television in 1994.
Critics weren't the only ones who felt that Dick Powell was miscast as Lysander. Powell felt the same way too and asked to be taken off the film.