First film in which Bette Davis wore her hair in the short "bob" cut that was styled by Perc Westmore. Davis would favor this look the rest of her life.
Though Bette Davis was very proud of the Oscar she won for this film, she didn't think she deserved it that year; in her opinion, Katharine Hepburn should have won for Alice Adams (1935). Davis always thought she won as compensation for not even being nominated the previous year for her star-making performance in Of Human Bondage (1934).
Bette Davis initially turned down this part that would win her the Oscar, but Warner's production chief Hal B. Wallis convinced her the role could be made into something special.
The hospital shown is the old Hollywood Cedars of Lebanon, which took care of many celebrities in its day. The stunning building was designed by local architect Claud Beelman. It is now owned by the Church of Scientology.