Although his studio was sinking into oblivion by its release date, studio boss Edward L. Alperson (see bio for details) gave this film an elaborate promotional build-up (at least by Grand National's standards), betting on the renown of author Clarence Budington Kelland, whose Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) became a major hit for Columbia. It didn't work, and within a year Grand National was gone.
Final film of actress Helen Chandler.
Three of Hollywood's then-oldest active character actors appeared in this film. Spencer Charters (as "Angus Tubbs") was 65 and had 41 years on stage prior to entering films. Otis Harlan (as "Abner Katz") was 72 and had begun acting in New York in 1887. Tully Marshall (as "Morton Ross") was 73 and had nearly a fifty year acting resume and was once prominent on Broadway.
This film was first telecast Friday 26 December 1941 on New York City's pioneer commercial television station WNBT (Channel 1); post-WWII televiewers got their first look at it in Boston Thursday 29 July 1948 on WBZ (Channel 4), in New York City Wednesday 21 September 1949 on WPIX (Channel 11), in Los Angeles Tuesday 15 November 1949 on KTLA (Channel 5), and in Cincinnati Friday 23 December 1949 on WKRC (Channel 11).
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