Per director Vincent Sherman, the film was based on dancer-actress Ginger Rogers' relationship with her quintessential stage-mother, Lela E. Rogers.
Bette Davis was originally the first choice for the role of Helen Chernin but turned it down. Upon seeing the finished product, however, she mused, "How did I let that one get away?"
Although it has been claimed that longtime Warner contractee Monte Blue is not in the film, he is clearly visible in the final theatrical sequence sitting two seats to the left of Dennis Morgan.
At 34 minutes into the film, Ida Lupino stands in front of a movie poster for Bordertown (1935), a 1935 Warners release starring Bette Davis -who turned down the role Lupino plays in this film. It is also noteworthy that Lupino played the Davis role in the remake of "Bordertown" titled "They Drive By Night."
As of May 2020, the TCM print of this film displays in the wrong aspect ratio. It's supposed to be 1.37:1, but appears much vertically thinner than that and round objects are distorted.