Dick Powell's Bill Davis has plans for a series of motor lodges from coast to coast. This would have been a logical investment possibility in 1938. The U.S. was inching into recovery from the Depression, employment was rising and some people were beginning to travel again. Car manufacturing was picking up and better roads were being built. Most motels were mom and pop operations, but business ventures around the country were just starting to look into motor lodges - or motels..
The car Margaret borrows and drives out of gas is a 1937 Ford DeLuxe Cabriolet (model 78). Less than 19,000 were made.
The 1938 popular song, "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby," was written by Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer. Tommy Dorsey and His Clambake 7 first recorded it on Sept. 29 of that year. Bing Crosby's Oct. 14 recording became the most popular of many recordings by singers over the years. And, Dick Powell's singing it in this film that premiered on Nov. 8 was the first theatrical release of the song.
The price of gas at Bill's station is 18 cents per gallon. Margaret buys 5 gallons for 90 cents on her second visit.
The first motel in the world was the Milestone Mo-Tel in San Luis Obispo, opened in December 1925. It was about midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco and afforded an overnight place to sleep for people making the two-day drive in those days. Today, the 400-mile trip takes six hours over Interstate 5.