Some cast members in studio records/casting call lists did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These were (with their character names): Jack Mower (Clerk), Bruce Mitchell (Detective) and Hal Craig (Detective).
Warner Bros. bought the story by Lewis E. Lawes, a warden at Sing Sing from 1920 to 1941, in 1935. It was announced that James Cagney would play the lead. The project was delayed when Cagney sued Warner Bros. for breach of contract. Dick Purcell was then considered for the lead before landing the part of Ace Scanlon. Finally Ross Alexander was cast in 1936, but was replaced by Dick Foran.
The original story by Lewis E. Lawes was based on the real-life inmate of Sing Sing, Edwin C. "Alabama" Pitts, Jr. (1909-1941). Pitts reformed himself in prison while serving a sentence of 8 to 16 years for armed robbery. He was released after a little over five years in 1935 and played at various levels of professional football and baseball over the next five year.
Mabel Hart's debut.
Final film of Sandra Ramoy.
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