Film debut of Martha Scott. She was not considered for the role of "Emily" at first because of her poor screen test for the role of "Melanie" in Autant en emporte le vent (1939), but she was chosen after much auditioning of other actresses.
Thornton Wilder won the Pulitzer Prize for the play the film is based on. The score for the film is by another Pulitzer Prize winner: Aaron Copland.
The play opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 4 February 1938 at Henry Miller's Theatre, and had 338 performances. Frank Craven, Martha Scott (her Broadway debut), Arthur B. Allen, and Doro Merande originated their movie roles in the play, and Teresa Wright was an understudy. The popular Pulitzer Prize play also had three revivals on Broadway.
The 25 cents per week that George gets in 1901 is worth $9.07 in 2024. The $1 that Rebecca saved is worth more than $36. The $350 the second-hand furniture man offered for Grandmother Hershey's highboy is worth about $12,700.