Shot in eight days.
This film was copyrighted twice. A note from Republic, dated 29 Nov 1935, that is contained on the copyright records, indicates that the first copyright in Liberty's name was an error; both copyright submissions are otherwise identical. Modern sources provide the following additional credits: Fred Ryle, makeup artist; W. I. O'Sullivan, production supervisor; and Milton Schwarzwald, musical director. Schwarzwald's score includes an orchestral version of Anton Rubenstein's Kamenoi Oistrow, a Dramatic Lamento by an unknown composer, and Josef Pasternak's "Sometime, Somehow, Somewhere." According to modern sources The Crime of Dr. Crespi was produced at the New York Biograph studio. Filmmaker John Auer was a young director from Budapest who had worked for several years on Spanish-language films and subsequently had a long career at Republic. Although made for Liberty Pictures, the film was released by Republic Pictures Corp. when that company was initially formed. Other versions of Edgar Allan Poe's story include Prelude, a 1927 British short, written, directed and starring Castleton Knight; a one-hour 1961 television production for the NBC anthology series Thriller, entitled The Premature Burial, directed by Douglas Heyes and starring Boris Karloff; and a 1962 American-International Picture, Premature Burial, produced and directed by Roger Corman and starring Ray Milland ( AFI Catalog)
Length: 5,944 feet.
The film was given a "B" rating by the National Legion of Decency - morally objectionable in part for all.