According to Harley Wood's daughter Jan Tache, this film was the one regret her mother had of her film career.
According to screenwriter Hildegarde Stadie, the main character of Burma Roberts was inspired by the case of Burma White, who was convicted as an accomplice in several armed robberies. Her husband, Tom White (who was known as the "rattlesnake bandit") orchestrated the hold-ups and was killed in a confrontation with the authorities. Burma White was sentenced to 30 years for her involvement. This same case was dramatized in an episode ('Burma White Case') of the radio program 'Calling All Cars' that was broadcast 12/6/33.
Burma's heroin customer lives at the Aloha Apartment Hotel, located at 6731 Leland Way in Hollywood. The building, now called the Leland Apartments, still (as of 2014) stands, but the tiled fountain, lantern fixtures, landscaping, and "Aloha" sign (between two prominent windows on the third floor) have all been removed from the courtyard. When Burma sees her sister, brother-in-law, and niece in the lobby, a single-story craftsman home is visible behind them, across the street. This house also survives, but trees and other foliage have grown up around it, making it much harder to see from the street. According to the 1930 U.S. Census, the Aloha's residents included Bonita Granville, Ethel Grey Terry, and Beryl Mercer.
The film's screenwriter Hildegarde Stadie (wife of director Dwain Esper) is one of the extras in the roadhouse at the beginning of the film. She is sitting at a table, wearing a white hat, looking like a drug addict might.
Dick's age is given as 19 in a newspaper insert. Hugh McArthur was closer to 31 when the film was made.