Columbia Pictures gave Gene Kelly almost complete control over the making of this film, and many of his ideas contributed to its lasting success. He removed several of the sound stage walls so that he, Rita Hayworth and Phil Silvers could dance along an entire street in one take. He also used trick photography so that he could dance with himself in one sequence.
During the middle of shooting Rita Hayworth eloped with Orson Welles. Coincidentally the film's wedding scene was shot that day.
Several Conover Cover Girl models appear in this film, including highest-paid model at the time, Anita Colby. Harry Conover, founder of one of the top leading model agencies, also served as advisor for the film. The title of the film stems from Conover's original concept and famous trademark "Cover Girl" (condensed from the phrase "Conover Cover Girl"). His model agency was so successful that his models appeared most often on the covers of magazines and advertisements.
The dance numbers were shot simultaneously by three cameras - one each for long, medium and close-up shots. This was done to cut down on the number of takes and saved time, according to a contemporary article in The Hollywood Reporter.
As she stated in her autobiography, Lauren Bacall had been wanted by Columbia to appear in this film as a Harper's Bazaar cover girl (as she had appeared on Harper's Bazaar cover in March 1943), but instead filmed Le Port de l'angoisse (1944) at Warner Bros. and became a star.
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