Tim Burton was fired from Disney for "wasting" their resources on films like this which they deemed too scary for family viewing. That did not stop Disney from releasing it on VHS after Burton became famous, although only in a censored version. The The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) DVD is its first uncensored appearance on home video.
This was originally scheduled to be released on the same program as the 1984 re-release of Pinocchio (1940), but was pulled after test screenings upset children. It ended up being replaced with Pluto's Christmas Tree (1952)
"Frankenweenie" was the film short that preceded Australian screenings of Touchstone's Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985). At the Sydney press conference for Tim Burton's Batman (1989), the director was very surprised to hear that his "Frankenweenie" had been seen by an international audience, since, according to him, Disney had shelved it.
Daniel Stern was only 27 at the time of filming, and only 16 years older than Barret Oliver who plays his son.
Tim Burton: [Dracula] (at around 10 mins) While reviving Sparky, Victor Frankenstein releases a kite shaped like a bat. Since Dracula and Frankenstein are traditionally linked to each other, this may be a deliberate allusion.