This was the film that got Joan Crawford labeled "box office poison" after a series of flops.
The role of "Anni" was originally intended for Luise Rainer.
Probably the real "star" of the film, and the source of its title, was the red beaded gown by Adrian, worn by Joan Crawford in the climactic ball scene. The dress was reused in fashion show sequences in The Big Store (1941) and, finally in color, in Du Barry Was a Lady (1943).
Three cast members in studio records/casting call lists did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These were (with their character names): Anna Demetrio (Signora Milani), George W. Jimenez (Signor Calla) and Abe Dinovitch (Yodeller). Child actor Bill Burrud is listed as a cast member in some contemporary newspapers, but he was not seen either.
Ferenc Molnár's play was unpublished and called "The Girl from Trieste."