According to Sam Coslow's autobiography, a then-unknown Bing Crosby was considered for the role eventually played by Stanley Smith.
One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.
The song "Sing You Sinners," which became a huge hit after it's inclusion in this film, was inspired when lyricist Sam Coslow attended a religious revival meeting with some friends.