W.C. Fields appeared in a chapter which was cut from the final theatrical version. It had been restored to the 1996 VHS version. Also in the segment are Margaret Dumont Marcel Dalio, and Phil Silvers. However, when it was later on released in DVD, the Fields segment was deleted again.
This was Paul Robeson's last movie because he was disgusted with the stereotypical caricature of African-Americans. He hoped this film would be a realistic view of poor sharecroppers, but it was not. Note the idea of shared use of land, in effect, a Communist collective. This concept was inserted by Robeson, who was a follower of Communism. He was later blacklisted for his beliefs.
Amused by Charles Boyer's thick French accent, Rita Hayworth giggled her way through the filming of their love scenes together.
In the American Film Institute (AFI) List - "AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars" - TALES OF MANHATTAN (1942) is the feature film that contains the most screen legends from that list with 4 stars: Henry Fonda, Ginger Rogers, Rita Hayworth and Edward G. Robinson.
This film appeared in the begining of the M*A*S*H episode, "Morale Victory" Season 8 episode 19.