First part-dialog sound film for Columbia Pictures and director Frank Capra. Both wanted to make an all-talking film, but equipped sound stages were at a premium at the time.
This movie is based on a Fannie Hurst play, "It Is to Laugh," which opened at the Eltinge 42nd Street Theatre in New York City on 26 December 1926 and closed after 32 performances in January 1927.
A print of this film survives in the Library of Congress.
The $1,000 Birdie sells Eddie's song for would equate to about $15,000 in 2019.
The print shown on TCM bears the British Censors Approval Certificate, and British F.B.O. release credits, hence is of UK origin. Columbia did not yet have distribution offices in UK in 1929.