For a brief few seconds, Rita Hayworth is heard singing with her own voice. This is believed to be the only time in a film when this happens.
Both Raoul Walsh and James Cagney considered this to be the favorite of their films.
James Cagney was past forty at the time of filming but was playing much younger, and was in fact only seven years younger than his on-screen father Alan Hale.
Ann Sheridan was originally cast as Virginia Brush, but became involved in an acrimonious salary dispute with Warner Brothers. The studio borrowed Rita Hayworth from Columbia, even though her career was foundering, with clinkers like Blondie on a Budget (1940). "The Strawberry Blonde" became a big boost to her career. Jack L. Warner liked her work so much that he immediately used her again in another romantic comedy, Affectionately Yours (1941).
The TCM print ran 99 minutes; the extra two minutes was due to a 'follow-the-bouncing-ball' sing-along after "The End," to the main song "And The Band Played On." Before end credits, there are title cards which invite the audience to sing along with "And The Band Played On" with lyrics provided on screen.