Ramon Novarro wears internal lifts in his boots so that the difference in hight between himself and Greta Garbo was increased on screen.
Film debut of Roy Barcroft.
Major Thomas Coulson's 1930 book, "Mata Hari: Courtesan and Spy", piqued interest in turning it into a movie, but an MGM executive said that no one book was the basis of their movie. Mata hari translates to "eye of the day" in Indonesian (and Malay), and is the most common word for "sun" in those languages. Censors of many cities required cuts in the movie, which was typical of many pre-code films. When MGM applied to the Hays Office for a certificate in 1936 for re-release, it was refused. However, a certificate was issued in 1939, when the movie was re-released.
The third and final film in which Ramon Novarro and Lewis Stone both appeared, though they have no scenes together.
Though the title character was real, the events in the film are mostly fictional.
While this film was in production, rumors began circulating that co-stars Greta Garbo and Ramon Novarro were having an affair. This was untrue, but they did develop a strong friendly rapport.