Ann Harding flew herself to the Sarasota, Florida, filming location so that she could log a sufficient number of hours for her pilot's license.
Melvyn Douglas was borrowed from Samuel Goldwyn to replace the originally cast Robert Williams, who had died of a ruptured appendix on 3 November 1931 during production.
Lao Bao is a real town in Vietnam. It is in Quang Tri Province, roughly due north of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) along the border with Laos.
Local girl Eunice Coleman was hired as Ann Harding's photo double, leading to much coverage in the local press. Coleman, who had training as a circus performer, did some stunt work with elephants for the film.
Crew members Tommy Clark and W.E. Coleman were injured in a car accident while on location in Sarasota, Florida, on December 8, 1931.