Tim Burton was fired from Disney for "wasting" their resources on films like this which they deemed too scary for family viewing. That did not stop Disney from releasing it on VHS after Burton became famous, although only in a censored version. The The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) DVD is its first uncensored appearance on home video.
This was originally scheduled to be released on the same program as the 1984 re-release of Pinocchio (1940), but was pulled after test screenings upset children. It ended up being replaced with Pluto's Christmas Tree (1952)
"Frankenweenie" was the film short that preceded Australian screenings of Touchstone's Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985). At the Sydney press conference for Tim Burton's Batman (1989), the director was very surprised to hear that his "Frankenweenie" had been seen by an international audience, since, according to him, Disney had shelved it.
Features Jason Hervey and Daniel Stern, who would go on to co-star as brothers Wayne and Kevin Arnold (respectively) in The Wonder Years (1988). However, Stern's role as the Adult Kevin/Narrator meant he never appeared on-screen with Hervey.