Promotional material claimed Betty Compson was an accomplished violinist and was playing live in her musical scenes, but, in actuality, her playing was mimed to previously recorded violin solos by off screen Russ Columbo who also appears on screen as an uncredited member of Gus Arnheim's Orchestra. This information was later revealed by the music's composer, Oscar Levant. Compson did learn to play the violin in her youth and played professionally in theaters and vaudeville since the age of 16. So, her bow movements and fingering appear authentic. Her character in Inside the Lines (1930) also plays the violin.
This was the first "official" RKO Radio Pictures production, but it was released after Syncopation (1929).
Russ Columbo also dubbed the violin hot jazz solo performed by Happy Winter (Ned Sparks) near the end of the film.
This film was a huge hit at the box office, earning RKO a profit of $800,000 (over $14.5M in 2024) according to studio records. This amount was nearly half the studio's profit for the year.
The short story upon which this film is based, "The Viennese Charmer" by W. Carey Wonderly, was first published in Young's Magazine in the March 1928 edition.