In a 1983 interview, "A Conversation with Don Ameche", he said this movie was the favorite of all the films he worked on.
The lead was written with Fredric March or Rex Harrison in mind. Ernst Lubitsch was most disappointed when 20th Century Fox boss Darryl F. Zanuck insisted on casting Don Ameche for commercial reasons. Lubitsch later recanted his opposition to Ameche, won over by the actor's dedication and professionalism.
Gene Tierney recalled that during production, "Lubitsch was a tyrant on the set, the most demanding of directors. After one scene, which took from noon until five to get, I was almost in tears from listening to Lubitsch shout at me. The next day I sought him out, looked him in the eye, and said, 'Mr. Lubitsch, I'm willing to do my best but I just can't go on working on this picture if you're going to keep shouting at me.' 'I'm paid to shout at you', he bellowed. 'Yes', I said, 'and I'm paid to take it--but not enough.' After a tense pause, Lubitsch broke out laughing. From then on we got along famously." (From Tierney's autobiography 'Self-Portrait'.)
Although Gene Tierney had difficulties with Ernst Lubitsch at the beginning of the shooting of this film, they later got along famously, and Tierney went on to call Lubitsch "A brilliant director" in her 1985 interview in Houston.
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