Released in both a sound and a silent version, allowing it to be distributed to theaters not yet equipped with sound systems.
In September 1928, Warner Bros. Pictures purchased a majority interest in First National Pictures, and from that point on all "First National" productions were actually made under Warner Bros. control, even though the two companies continued to retain separate identities until the mid-1930s, after which time "A Warner Bros.-First National Picture" was often used.
Parts of the film were shot in Zion National Park in Utah.
The picture marked Ian Keith's screen singing debut with the Ray Perkins-Herman Ruby composition, "At The End Of The Lonesome Trail," misprinted in contemporary sources as "At The End Of The Long, Long Trail."
Myrna Loy plays Manuella, the proverbial hot-blooded Mexican spitfire who makes trouble for mine operator Steven Ghent. Five years after the release of Il bandito e la signorina (1929), Loy would become a star playing opposite William Powell in L'uomo ombra (1934), which constructed her well-known star image as the perfect wife.
Loy's unique beauty and lidded eyes were appropriated for roles as exotic sirens in silent movies; however, the coming of sound meant speaking with an accent in these types of parts, which was not her forte.
Loy's unique beauty and lidded eyes were appropriated for roles as exotic sirens in silent movies; however, the coming of sound meant speaking with an accent in these types of parts, which was not her forte.