After Fred Astaire announced his retirement before completing this film, New York's Paramount Theater generated a petition of 10,000 names to persuade him to come out of retirement.
Ever the perfectionist that he was, Fred Astaire spent a grueling 5 weeks rehearsing his dance routines for the "Puttin' On the Ritz" number's challenging and most irregular rhythmic tempo.
Fred Astaire, then 47 years old, intended to retire as a leading man with this film. He was planning to work only with his dance studios and breed racehorses. Easter Parade (1948), having recently lost Gene Kelly to a broken ankle, brought Astaire out of retirement. He danced on film and until he was nearly 70.
Filming began with Paul Draper as Jed Potter. He was fired over either his impatience with Joan Caulfield, who was not a professional dancer, or his stutter. He was replaced by Fred Astaire.