Warner Bros. first bought the rights to the novel in 1944 and Mervyn LeRoy was hired as the director. But Warners subsequently sold the property to Fox.
John Payne, Maureen O'Hara, Henry Fonda, Jeanne Crain, and Florence Bates were
considered for key roles.
William Frawley and Porter Hall both also appeared in Miracle on 34th Street (1947).