MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer quickly rushed this movie into production to cash in on the popularity of the newly discovered Greer Garson, who had just triumphed in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939). But despite this, the movie was a box office dud, and was all but forgotten until finding a new life on television, where it has remained a favorite for 60 years.
This film was not a success at the box office, resulting in a loss to MGM of $32,000 ($563,000 in 2017) according to studio records.
This film was first telecast in Chicago Wednesday 6 February 1957 on WBBM (Channel 2), followed by Los Angeles Tuesday 12 February 1957 on KTTV (Channel 11); it first aired in Hartford CT 10 March 1957 on WHCT (Channel 18), in Philadelphia 27 March 1957 on WFIL (Channel 6), in Seattle 28 March 1957 on KING (Channel 5), in Minneapolis 30 March 1957 on KMGM (Channel 9), in New Haven CT 3 April 1957 on WNHC (Channel 8), in Phoenix 19 May 1957 on KPHO (Channel 5), in Omaha 28 August 1957 on WOW (Channel 6), and in Honolulu 23 September 1957 on KHVH (Channel 13) ; its initial airing in San Francisco occurred 4 November 1958 on KGO (Channel 7).