The prison scenes were filmed at Stateville Prison in Joliet, Illinois, where the real Roger Touhy was incarcerated. The film was previewed at Stateville on July 12, 1943 with the Governor of Illinois (Dwight H. Green), and over 1,000 police officers and State's Attorneys from Chicago other Illinois communities in attendance. Touhy, who was suing 20th Century Fox to prevent the films release, was not invited to the show, nor were any other prisoners. The screening was held in the prison chapel. The lawsuit against Fox dragged on until 1949. Touhy won a $15,000 settlement on a $100,000 lawsuit for libel against Fox (for making the movie) and the Chicago based Balaban & Katz theatre chain (for showing the movie) on November 1, 1949.
Victor McLaglen and Preston Foster appeared together in 3 earlier films: L'ange du port (1934), Le mouchard (1935), and Les démons de la mer (1937).