The Painted Desert in Arizona to finish the interior scenes on the studio lot in Hollywood. Ninety percent of the film was shot in Arizona, between the Painted Desert in Dinosaur Canyon, and Tuba City, Arizona, as well as a nearby Indian reservation. In mid-November it was reported that the recording portion of the film had been completed. Clarence Kolster edited the film during December 1930. By November, advertisements promoting the film were being released to the trade papers. Produced by Pathé Exchange, the film would become part of the RKO Radio Pictures library when they purchased the studio in March, after which
Rangipo Desert factors lowering the temperature below zero for days on end. Much of the desert lies at an altitude of over , and a considerable proportion of it is over above sea level. Due to the unproductive nature of the land and the extreme winter climate, the region is largely uninhabited. The town of Waiouru, with its army camp, lies to the south and much of the southern part of the desert is used for training purposes. To the north of the desert lies the Rangipo prison farm. Many of the North Island's largest rivers have their headwaters in the area,