The film has two oddly prophetic connections to Le Magicien d'Oz (1939). It features both Judy Garland and Jack Haley, who would later become Dorothy and the Tin Man. Also, Haley's line "I haven't got a brain" presages the theme song for his "Oz" co-star Ray Bolger (the Scarecrow).
Lynn Bari, who appears uncredited as a spectator at a football game, married Sidney Luft in 1943. Judy Garland married Luft in 1952.
Feature-film debut of Judy Garland. NOTE: This Twentieth Century-Fox picture was her one loan-out during her 15 years with MGM (1935-50).
According to the 2007 Twentieth Century-Fox release of the DVD, the film was plagued with accidents during on-location filming in the Los Angeles area. A misfired gun loaded with blanks sent one USC student actor to the hospital with eye burns when the gun accidentally fired into the crowd, also injuring three other students. Other accidents involving USC students took place during the football rally scene. Two of the band members sprained their ankles in the fast-paced marching scene while another student sprained his neck vertebra while putting on his brass horn. One accident that involved several cast members was a fire on the set while filming at a railroad station in Chatsworth. Harry Brand, Fox's Publicity Director, issued a press release saying, "Those in Twentieth Century-Fox's musical cast who helped extinguish the blaze by forming an old-fashioned bucket brigade included Stuart Erwin, Johnny Downs, Arline Judge, Betty Grable, Patsy Kelly, Jack Haley, plus several other supporting actors . . . luckily no one was hurt."'
"Hold That Bulldog" (music by Lew Pollack, lyrics by Sidney D. Mitchell), sung by Judy Garland and Ensemble, was cut from this film. The audio is presented on a soundtrack CD, paired with the score of Le Magicien d'Oz (1939), from the French label Chansons Cinema.