This is one of a handful of MGM productions of the 1950-51 period whose original copyrights were never renewed and are now apparently in public domain; for this reason this title is now offered, often in very inferior copies, at bargain prices by numerous VHS and DVD distributors that do not normally handle copyrighted or MGM material.
In October 1951, MGM was distributing this film on the drive-in theater circuit on a double bill with The Great Caruso (1951) starring Mario Lanza.
The last of MGM's seven "Lassie" family films in Technicolor issued between 1943-51, this entry was the only one that did not garner a contemporary New York Times review.
The Painted Hills (1951) was lampooned by Joel and the bots of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988) in The Painted Hills (1993).
The Painted Hills (1951) failed at the box office, resulting in a loss to MGM of $122,000 (over $1.46M in 2024) according to studio records.