The song "Dear Mr. Gable" was a birthday present for Clark Gable's 36th birthday. Composer and arranger Roger Edens adapted the old song "You Made Me Love You" by James V. Monaco. It was sung at Gable's studio birthday party by a young Judy Garland. Studio head Louis B. Mayer was so impressed by it, that he gave orders to let Garland sing it again in the next great musical MGM was going to produce.
Two years after making this film, Charley Grapewin, who portrays horse trainer Blakeley and shares no scenes with Judy Garland, achieved screen immortality playing Garland's Uncle Henry (husband of "Auntie Em") in the 1939 M-G-M classic O Mágico de Oz (1939). Buddy Ebsen, who dances with Garland in this movie, was originally cast as The Tin Woodman opposite Garland in Oz, but had a serious reaction from inhalation of the character's powdered aluminum makeup and wound up in the hospital. He was replaced by Jack Haley.
In the final number "Your Broadway and My Broadway," there's a neon sign on the right with the writing "Broadway Melody of 1937" - the working title of this movie.
Several cast members of Melodia da Broadway de 1936 (1935) were also scheduled to appear when this film was in pre-production, Una Merkel, Sid Silvers and Frances Langford, but the idea of carrying over the previous film's cast was eventually abandoned.