After WWII, Orson Welles came to see director Marcel Pagnol, told him he saw the movie and he would like to meet Raimu, "the greatest actor in the world" according to Welles. Pagnol answered Raimu recently died and Welles burst into tears. (Source: "Confidences" by Pagnol.)
Marcel Pagnol wrote the part of Aurélie Castanier for Joan Crawford. The American actress declined because she didn't speak French. The part, which has a minimal amount of lines for a title role, went to Ginette Leclerc.
Subject of a French stamp in 1986.
Marcel Pagnol's initial choice for the role of the baker was Marcel Maupi, whose frail constitution was more in keeping with Giono's physical description of the character in "Jean le Bleu."