Universal had smash hits with Bud Abbott's and Lou Costello's service comedies. With this film (originally titled "Road to Montezuma") they tried to duplicate the box-office success that Paramount was having with the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope "Road" pictures. The experiment worked and this film exceeded the box-office grosses of their service comedies to become Abbott and Costello's biggest hit to date.
This was the second highest grossing film of 1942.
This film provided the only instance in the careers of Abbott and Costello wherein Bud Abbott received a solo spot, revealing his comedic talents apart from serving as straight man to Lou Costello. The magician act he and Costello perform, with William Demarest as their victim, broke tradition by allowing the team to work separately as comics, using a third as their straight man.
The film premiered in Lou Costello's hometown of Paterson, NJ, at a benefit for St. Anthony's Church.
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