John Ford had previously directed a silent film version of the same story, called Marked Men (1919). No prints of this films are known to be in existence.
This is a remake of the silent film The Three Godfathers (1916), which starred Ford's long-time friend Harry Carey. When Carey died in 1947, Ford decided to remake the story in Technicolor and dedicate the film to his memory. Carey's son, Harry Carey Jr., plays one of the three, "The Abilene Kid". The film Three Godfathers (1936) is based on the same source, so this film is, in some sense, a remake of that film as well.
The opening credits claim that the film is introducing Harry Carey Jr. He had already made a half dozen films when this was released including, Pursued, Blood on the Moon, and Red River. He made his film debut in 1921 when cast as a baby in John Ford's "Desperate Trails'. The film starred his father and is considered lost.