The lead actress changed her screen name from Dawn O'Day to Anne Shirley after playing the lead character of the same name in this film.
Katharine Hepburn wanted the part of Anne, and was always disappointed that she'd never gotten to play that part. Over 50 years later when Kevin Sullivan was producing a television adaptation of the same story she contacted him and had her grand-niece, Schuyler Grant read for the role. Schuyler did not get the part of Anne, (as the producers insisted on a Canadian actress) but she did get cast as Anne's best friend, Diana, in 'Anne of Green Gables (1985)'.
This film did very well at the box office for RKO, being one of their four top-grossing films for the year, and earning a profit of $272,000 ($5M in 2017).
Anne was 11 years old when she comes to the Cuthbert farm. Actress Shirley was 16, with a voice that was on the verge of full maturity. The fact that she was only 5' 2" however helped in her casting. Gertrude Messinger, who plays her friend Diana, was 23.
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