Several of the animators who worked on this anti-war cartoon were veterans of World War One and had experienced combat similar to that depicted in the film. In a darkly ironic note, they would be working on wartime propaganda cartoons two years later.
The first MGM cartoon to be nominated for an Academy Award.
Both this short and its remake Good Will to Men (1955) were nominated for the Best Short Subject Oscar.
Recognizing its value, MGM gave the cartoon special promotional treatment.