In an early scene, David Garrick is billed as starring in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" "with alterations." This is a reference to the real David Garrick's wholesale rewriting of William Shakespeare's plays, both to fatten his own parts and to bring them closer to what 18th century audiences considered "fine drama."
Though Mervyn LeRoy is credited with "personal supervision" of the project, the actual producer was David Lewis, partner of director James Whale, who set up the deal with Warner Bros. for Whale to make this film.
The play opened in London, England, UK on 18 May 1937. It later opened on Broadway in New York City at the Martin Beck Theatre (Al Hirschfeld Theatre since 2003), 302 W. 45th St., on October 17, 1939 and ran for 105 performances.
Ironically, Brian Aherne married Joan Fontaine, the sister and bitter rival of Aherne's costar Olivia de Havilland.