Gary Cooper's first all-talking film. He felt that sound would ruin him, believing his voice was not adequate to the task. This film turned him from a promising young leading man into a star, although he was not considered a superstar until L'extravagant Mr. Deeds (1936).
As in the novel and the play that the movie is based on, the Virginian's name is never mentioned.
Future western movie icon Randolph Scott, from Virginia, was hired as a dialect coach to teach Gary Cooper a Virginia accent, and also has a small non-speaking part in the film.
Cooper later referred to this as his favorite role.