The play opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 14 April 1943 and closed 17 June 1944 after 500 performances. The opening night cast included Skip Homeier as Emil and Edit Angold as Frieda (each of whom later reprised their stage roles for the film), Ralph Bellamy as Mike Frame, Shirley Booth as Leona Richards and Kathryn Givney as Jessie Frame. Producer Lester Cowan bought the rights to the play for $75,000 plus 25% of the gross, not to exceed $350,000. He wanted to change the title of the movie to "The Intruder," but a poll of exhibitors voted him down.
In 1944, Comics Cavalcade adapted the movie as a promotional give-away comic book. The following year the book was reprinted (though the first panel was altered). Neither version of the comic book was issued with a cover.