The musical play, Sons O' Guns, opened at the Imperial Theatre in New York on 26 November 1929 and closed on 9 August 1930 after 295 performances. Co-Writer Jack Donahue played 'Jimmy Canfield' in the opening night cast, which also included Lili Damita as Yvonne and William Frawley as Hobson.
Originally set to be produced by United Artists for a 1931 release, with Al Jolson and Lili Damita as the stars (Damita was slated to reprise her role from the original Broadway production). After Jolson's ordeal with UA filming Je suis un vagabond (1933), the film's rights were sold to Warner Brothers as well as the remainder of Jolson's contract to UA.
The music that plays when Jimmy enters for his cafe performance is a remix of the song 'Remember My Forgotten Man', another Warren and Dubin song. It was introduced in another Warner movie, 'Gold Diggers of 1933' that also starred Joan Blondell , in which she performed in the war themed number.
As the film ends, in the final minute, Joe E. Brown is supposed to be awarded the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre of France although the French General steps forward and only pins on the latter medal after which the film quickly ends.