Received a "Condemned" rating from the Catholic Legion of Decency for "irreverent use of Scripture" and "lustful complications." Even after the studio made the changes demanded, distribution was sharply cut by cities refusing to book it. Contemporary articles in The Hollywood Reporter noted the film was banned in Detroit. Other sources state it also was banned in Boston and Providence, Rhode Island.
Joan Crawford's wardrobe consisted of three ready-to-wear dresses which cost under $40, and she wore one of them throughout the 27 days of filming.
Joan Crawford intended to portray her character without any make-up but she later told 'Silver Screen' magazine that she cheated and used Vaseline on her eyelids, eyebrows, and lips to retain moisture. In one scene, while using the top of an old tomato can as a mirror, Crawford applied brilliantine to her hair.
Director Frank Borzage said Joan Crawford was a trouper but did not mention a particular day in the jungle when Crawford, preceded by Clark Gable, passed under a tree with an eight-foot python coiled on a branch overhead. "That son-of-a-b***h is alive!" screamed Crawford, looking upward. "Yes, but its jaws are shut tight with a rubber band," Borzage explained. "What happens if the f**king rubber band snaps?" Crawford asked and refused to repeat the scene.
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