Trivia

William Powell spoke of how much he loved working with Myrna Loy because of her naturalness, her professionalism, and her lack of any kind of "diva" temperament. "When we did a scene together, we forgot about technique, camera angles, and microphones. We weren't acting. We were just two people in perfect harmony," he said. "Myrna, unlike some actresses who think only of themselves, has the happy faculty of being able to listen while the other fellow says his lines. She has the give and take of acting that brings out the best."

Director W.S. Van Dyke, aware of William Powell and Myrna Loy's easy banter between takes and their obvious enjoyment of each other's company, worked both into the movie. Van Dyke often encouraged and incorporated improvisation and off-the-cuff details into the picture.

According to Myrna Loy, the actors were not allowed to interact between takes with the highly trained Skippy (the real name of Asta), who performed his feats on the promise of a squeaky mouse and a biscuit.

MGM was advised that some dialogue was "censorable," such as William Powell's line "He didn't come anywhere near my tabloids," and Myrna Loy's line "What's that man doing in my drawers?" However, the picture was approved for exhibition in 1934 and granted a PCA certificate in August 1935. After the film's release, some territories did censor some lines of dialogue, and at least one theater owner from the South wrote to the PCA to complain of excessive drinking in the picture, which his patrons found offensive.

When Lieutenant Guild asks Nick if he has ever heard of the Sullivan Act, he is referring to 1911 gun control law in New York State. Nora responds that "it's all right, we're married", no doubt referencing the 1910 Mann Act, the United States federal law that prohibits transporting women for "immoral purpose" across state lines. Both laws are still in effect as of 2022.