The film was started in 1939 but its shooting was interrupted when France went to war. Only the scenes taking place in Indochina were filmed then (they were included in the finished print). When the shooting was able to resume, most of its actors were no longer available and, apart from Catherine Fonteney, the whole film had to be recast. The original actors were:
Dita Parlo, 'Jean-Pierre Aumont',
Sessue Hayakawa,
Foun-Sen,
Florence Marly,
Lucas Gridoux,
Jean Worms,
Pierre Etchepare,
France Marion and 'Hoang-Dao'.
