In an extraordinary move for the normally controlling director, Sir Alfred Hitchcock allowed Marlene Dietrich an exceptional amount of creative control for this movie, particularly in how she chose to light her scenes. Hitchcock knew that Dietrich had learned a great deal of the art of cinematography from Josef von Sternberg and Günther Rittau and let her work with Cinematographer Wilkie Cooper to light and set her scenes the way that she wished.
Because Patricia Hitchcock (Chubby Bannister) bore a resemblance to Jane Wyman, her father Sir Alfred Hitchcock asked her to double for Wyman in the scenes that required "danger driving" in the beginning of the movie.
Sir Alfred Hitchcock gave his daughter Patricia Hitchcock's character the decidedly unflattering name "Chubby Bannister". In addition to the joke, the name was a term of endearment according to Hitchcock. Alfred said that he liked calling Patricia "Chubby Bannister" because she was "a girl you could always lean on."
Cole Porter's song, "The Laziest Gal in Town", ran afoul of censors for its sexual innuendo, and for being too risqué. Several lines from the song were reworded, and the tamer version appears in this film.
According to Sir Alfred Hitchcock, he ran into great difficulties with Jane Wyman who was required to appear frumpy and inelegant when incognito as a maid, and was reluctant to appear so plain when Marlene Dietrich appeared so glamorous. Hitchcock recounted that Wyman would cry when she would see Dietrich looking glamorous on-set when she was in her maid disguise. Hitchcock said that she could not accept the idea of her character being frumpy or dowdy. Much to Hitchcock's chagrin, Wyman secretly put on make-up or otherwise tried to improve her appearance, thus failing to maintain her character.
Alfred Hitchcock: Turning to look at Eve in her disguise as Charlotte's maid at around 40 minutes into the film.