Trivia

The film's failure hit Cary Grant so hard that he refused all period roles he was offered, until Orgueil et passion (1957), which ultimately failed to make a profit.

Part of Cary Grant's motivation to star in film came from his desire to become an American citizen. His decision had been ill-timed, however, as the United Kingdom was at war with Germany and the United States remained officially neutral (although in September 1940 it violated its Neutrality Acts with the Destroyers for Bases Agreement). He worried that changing his citizenship from British to American during a time of war would be looked upon unfavorably by the British public. Grant believed that starring in this film would help Americans accept him as a naturalized citizen and would help bide time until the United States officially entered the war on the United Kingdom's side.

Cary Grant considered himself to be miscast.

The millionaire heir, John D. Rockefeller Jr., recently had restored Williamsburg, Virginia as a model colonial town for educational, tourism, and amusement purposes. Rockefeller offered Columbia the rights to film exterior scenes for this picture in the newly restored colonial town. This offer saved the studio millions of dollars in set construction and location shooting. Much of the film was shot on location in Williamsburg. What was not shot there was shot on location in Northern California.

Cary Grant was so disappointed with the critical and public reception of the film that it impacted his relationship with Columbia Pictures studio head, Harry Cohn. Grant blamed Cohn for talking him into starring in the film in a role for which he felt miscast.