The only known print of this film was destroyed in a fire in June of 2008, leaving only a few very low-quality--basically unwatchable--prints in the public domain. Eddie Muller, host of Turner Classic's "Noir Alley", did a bit of detective work and found a 35mm print at the British Film Institute. He had it shipped to UCLA Film and Television Archive where, with financial help from Muller's own organization, the Film Noir Foundation and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Charitable Trust, the film was preserved for future generations. This is one of Muller's favorite noir films for a number of reasons, including the pairing of two great actors, Ann Sheridan and Dennis O'Keefe , who he claimed improvised some of their dialogue, but mostly because of its use of San Francisco, Eddie's home town, while it was still a bustling, growing, blue-collar seaport.
Some of the film was shot on location in San Francisco, CA, but the opening, in which an informant is murdered, was filmed in downtown Los Angeles, CA, above the Hill Street Tunnel between First and Temple Streets. The tunnel was removed in the mid-1950s. It also was filmed at Ocean Park Pier in Santa Monica for the amusement park and roller coaster scenes.
Ann Sheridan not only hoped this film would rekindle her acting career after leaving Warner Bros., but as a silent co-producer, she also had a financial stake in its success.
When Eleanor is doctoring the dog food, she uses Tabasco and Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce; these two products still use the same packaging to this day.