Wallace Beery was originally assigned the lead role, and Otto Preminger was assigned to direct. However, shortly after filming began, Beery told Fox studio head Darryl F. Zanuck, "I won't do a picture with a director whose name I can't pronounce." Zanuck re-assigned Preminger to direct the comedy Charmante famille (1937), replaced Beery with Victor McLaglen for this film and replaced Preminger with George Marshall.