"Bronco Busters" (music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin), sung by Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Nancy Walker and chorus, was prerecorded but not filmed. The song is heard on the soundtrack CD from Rhino, and also on "The Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland Collection," a Warner Home Video release.
Judy Garland's character's name, Ginger Gray, is a tribute to Ginger Rogers, who played the part on Broadway when the character was named Molly Gray. Ginger Rogers wrote that one night onstage in the play, her costar Allen Kearns accidentally said: "Ginger, I love you" instead of "Molly". The mistake got such a huge laugh from the audience that they decided to continue to do that in subsequent performances, pretending it was a mistake. (Source: "Ginger: My Story". New York: Harper-Collins, 1991)
After Busby Berkeley finished directing the finale ("I Got Rhythm" number, which was filmed first), he was fired by producer Arthur Freed and replaced by Norman Taurog. The reasons vary: modern sources say he was way over budget and behind schedule. Freed himself claimed it was because of a personality clash with Judy Garland, who requested his dismissal.
Another number, "Ginger Dear" by Roger Edens was recorded but deleted before release.
In the finale of the movie, a musical scene entitled "I Got Rhythm" Ginger Gray (played by Judy Garland) and Danny Churchill Jr. (played by Mickey Rooney) are lifted by a group of cowboys, while guns were going off around them. Garland was terribly afraid to do this shot, and Rooney had to coax her into it.
Many cast members in studio records/casting call lists did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These were (with their character names):Alphonse Martell (Waiter), Barbara Bedford (Churchill's secretary), Sarah Edwards (Governor's secretary), Harry C. Bradley (Governor's crony), Spec O'Donnell (Fiddle player), Sidney Miller (Ed), and all the Committee women, Blanche Rose, Helen Dickson, Melissa Ten Eyck, Vangie Beilby, Julia Griffith, Lillian West, Sandra Morgan, Peggy Leon and Bess Flowers.
The musical play opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 14 October 1930 and had 272 performances. The leads were played by Ginger Rogers and Allen Kearns, but the cast also included Ethel Merman in her first Broadway production. She was featured in the "I Got Rhythm" number.