White Mama was a title that the network kept insisting had to be changed. Bette Davis sent back word she would refuse to make the picture if they changed the title.
During the filming at the Skid Row area where one must walk around drunks passed out in doorways, Bette Davis had a bottle thrown to her.
White Mama is based on a novel by Robert C.S. Downs. He is also the screenwriter of the film.
White Mama will adapt on stage in 2018.