Lewis Milestone won an Oscar, then called the First Award, for Direction (Comedy Picture), the first and only year that category appeared in the Academy Awards. Milestone beat the only other nominee in the category, 'Ted Wilde' for Harold Lloyd's Speedy. Charles Chaplin had originally been announced as a Best Comedy Director nominee for The Circus, but subsequently was removed from the category (his nomination for Best Actor also was rescinded) and given a special Honorary Award. Milestone won a second Oscar for directing All Quiet on the Western Front, which featured Louis Wolheim in a World War I setting, and was nominated one more time, for The Front Page.
In December, 2004, the film was aired on television for the first time on Turner Classic Movies with a newly-commissioned musical score.
One of only two films to win a directing Oscar without also being nominated for best picture, the other being The Divine Lady.
The print for this film that was found was recovered just in the nick of time - there are points in the film where severe damage (and near-disintegration) can be seen, although the restorers did their utmost to undo the damage.
This film was once believed to have been lost. A copy was found in the vaults of producer Howard Hughes, following his death, along with copies of two other "lost" films produced by Hughes, The Racket and The Mating Call.