Ethel Griffies played (uncredited) the Landlady in BOTH Waterloo Bridge (1931) & Waterloo Bridge (1940). She was Mrs. Hobley in the earlier version and Mrs. Clark in the later version.
Rita Carlyle played (uncredited) the Old Woman on Bridge in BOTH Waterloo Bridge (1931) & Waterloo Bridge (1940). It was the woman who dropped her basket of potatoes and cabbage in the earlier version and the flower lady in the later version.
The film is an adaption of the original Broadway production of "Waterloo Bridge" by Robert E. Sherwood opened at the Fulton Theatre on January 6, 1930 and ran for 64 performances. Sherwood had based his play on his own wartime experiences, including a chance meeting during a 1918 air raid with an American chorus girl turned streetwalker.
Because of its controversial material, censor boards in Chicago, New York City, and Pennsylvania insisted extensive cuts be made to this pre-code film. When the Production Code was enforced in July 1934, it became impossible to re-release the original version of Waterloo Bridge.
[Mae Clarke in 1985 speaking of working with James Whale] I knew James Whale was imported as one of England's very best and was aware of the great success of the play and film "Journey's End." I wanted to meet Mr. Whale the way I would have entered college to begin learning... Our relationship was the adoration between a teacher (who was expert) and a pupil (who was most willing.) And our objectives became 'What did the author want? What did he not say and assumed we would? We could forget ourselves.'