Dorothy Dandridge, 15 years old during filming and one of The Dandridge Sisters, performed in the "Mutiny in the Nursery" production number (music by Johnny Mercer and Harry Warren, lyrics by Johnny Mercer). Other members of The Dandridge Sisters were Dorothy's 17-year-old sister Vivian Dandridge and their friend Etta Jones.
Included among the American Film Institute's 2004 list of 400 movies nominated for the top 100 America's Greatest Music in the Movies for the song "Jeepers Creepers."
The play upon which this film is based, "The Hottentot," opened on Broadway in New York City on 1 March 1920 at the George M. Cohen's Theatre, 1482 Broadway, and closed in June 1920 after 113 performances. The opening night cast included Donald Meek.
The on-screen performance of "Say It with a Kiss" (music by Harry Warren, lyrics by Johnny Mercer), featuring Maxine Sullivan, Louis Armstrong (trumpet only) and Dick Powell, was cut from this film. The melody is played in the background. Victor Records issued a solo version by Miss Sullivan. In addition, notable recordings were made by Billie Holiday with Teddy Wilson and His Orchestra for Brunswick, and by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra (vocal by Helen Forrest) for Bluebird. Another Mercer-Warren song, "They Say," was written for the film but deleted from the final cut; it was supposed to be Dick Powell's big ballad feature but in the end survived only instrumentally in the background score. It too was recorded by Artie Shaw with Helen Forrest, and Teddy Wilson with Billie Holiday, and was also recorded by Ethel Waters.
Two cast members in studio records/casting call lists did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These were (with their character names): Sidney Bracey (Cooper) and Frank Mayo (Flagman). Although a flagman is seen from the rear at the detour sign, he is not identifiable.