Originally conceived as a co-venture with documentarian Robert J. Flaherty. As work on the project progressed, it became increasingly clear to Flaherty that F.W. Murnau did not adapt well to co-directing and that he was being squeezed off the film. A factor helping Murnau in this was that he was one of the chief financiers.
Producer/director/co-writer F.W. Murnau died in a car accident a few days after starting work on the music for this film. The film had its New York premiere a week later.
The film was censored upon release to remove nudity involving natives on the island.
This film was selected to the National Film Registry, Library of Congress, in 1994.