Costumer Milo Anderson bought Joan Crawford's checkered dress at a department store and later recalled that the dress required extensive alteration, being far too large for Crawford everywhere except in the shoulders. Still new to the business, Anderson did not realize that multiple copies would be needed of a costume worn so extensively throughout the film. When it came time for a second copy, Anderson discovered that the dress had sold out and was now not available anywhere. Nor could the checkered fabric be located. Since the dress had already been seen in numerous scenes, the only solution was to have the design laboriously painted onto cloth and then have the dress duplicated. The dress had originally been store-bought to save money--and ultimately, with all the work, it added considerably to the film's budget.
The characters of "Sadie Thompson" and the preacher were spoofed several times by Sonny & Cher on The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour (1971) in a recurring skit called "The Vamps".
Joan Crawford's marriage to her husband Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was on the rocks during filming, leading her to withdraw from the cast and crew when they were filming on Catalina Island, making them think she was aloof. Fairbanks sailed out to accompany his wife on one occasion but was coolly received. The marriage ended seven months later.
Joan Crawford fought hard for the role of Sadie Thompson (though ultimately she didn't regard the end result too highly). She researched for the part by hanging out with real prostitutes in San Diego and studying their lifestyle and attitudes.
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