The preview time of 75 minutes was reported by the Motion Picture Herald in its issue of 13 June 1931, so that it is possible that footage was added before the general release. In any case, RKO lost $215,000 on the film.
The play opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 3 February 1930 and closed in May 1930 after 114 performances. The opening night cast included Walter Walker, Robert Williams and Pierre D'Ennery all of whom are also in the movie, and George MacQuarrie and playwright Donald Ogden Stewart.
The ship Johnnie is depicted as sailing to Europe upon is the RMS Majestic of the White Star Line. Originally launched in Germany in 1914 as the SS Bismark, her construction was stopped due to World War I. Given to Great Britian as war reparations, she was finished and first sailed the Atlantic in 1922. She was the largest ocean liner in the world until France's SS Normandie in 1935. In 1936 she was converted to a training ship for the Royal Navy and renamed the HMS Caledonia. In 1939 a fire broke out aboard and she sank at anchor, and was finally raised and scrapped in 1943.