Bette Davis had legendary makeup artist Perc Westmore devise a white mask-like effect for her face to emphasize Regina's coldness. William Wyler hated it, likening it to a Kabuki mask.
Bette Davis and William Wyler fought a great deal during filming. Disagreements ranged from Davis's interpretation of the character (Wyler thought she should be more sympathetic) to the appearance of the house (Davis thought it was far too opulent for a family struggling financially), to her appearance (Wyler thought her white makeup made her look like a Kabuki performer.) Davis eventually walked out of production, but returned when she heard rumors she was going to be replaced by Katharine Hepburn or Miriam Hopkins.
William Wyler encouraged Bette Davis to see Tallulah Bankhead's Broadway performance. Davis was not keen on the idea but agreed to do so, regretting it instantly as she realized that she was now forced to play the character in a very different manner. Bankhead played her as a fighter; Davis' interpretation was of a cold, calculating and conniving woman.
In an effort to recoup its losses after the initial box office failure of Citizen Kane (1941), RKO distributed that film on a double bill with "The Little Foxes" in January 1942.
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