The gazebo in this film, a symbol of the typical American town, was built specially for the movie. That gazebo was gifted to the city by MGM and is still in use in Grafton Commons.
This film was the first to have media ads taken out campaigning for an Academy Award. The ads depicted MGMs Leo the Lion holding an Oscar, reading "You've given so much, Leo - now get ready to receive!" Despite the ads (or perhaps because of them) the film received no Academy Award nominations.
Will Rogers planned to play Nat Miller in this film, but eventually backed out of the project, enabling him to make the ill-fated airplane trip with Wiley Post to Alaska. The plane crashed, killing them both.
The original production opened at the Guild Theater (New York) on October 2, 1933 and played for 289 performances. The original cast included actor/song writer/playwright George M. Cohan. The play has been revived on Broadway four times since the original production.
Over 200 local residents in Massachusetts were used as extras in this film.