Trivia

Release of the movie was delayed because of a lawsuit Pathé brought against MGM. Although the novel by Alphonse Daudet was in public domain in the USA, it was still under copyright protection in Europe. Pathé won the lawsuit.

Completed in 1930, but not released until 1931.

Of all her many film directors, one can surmise that Clarence Brown was Greta Garbo's favorite. They made seven films together in the 11 years between their first, Flesh and the Devil (1926), and the last, Conquest (1937). Given her level of stardom, it's likely no mistake that with no other director did she collaborate more than twice.

Brown commented on his impression of Garbo, whom very few knew intimately: "Garbo starts where they all leave off. She was a shy person; her lack of English gave her a slight inferiority complex. I used to direct her quietly. I never gave her direction above a whisper. Nobody on the set ever knew what I said to her; she liked that. She hated to rehearse. She would have preferred to stay away until everyone else was rehearsed, then come in and do the scene."

Their film projects include: Flesh and the Devil (1926), A Woman of Affairs (1928), Anna Christie (1930), Romance (1930), Inspiration (1931), Anna Karenina (1935), and Conquest (1937). For two of their films, Romance (1930) and Anna Christie (1930), both Brown and Garbo Oscar-nominated as respectively Best Director and Best Actress in a Leading Role.