Weber had adapted from the original novel when she was attached to the Universal version of "Uncle Tom's Cabin". She attempted to make another serious adaptation, but the studio decided that it should be a comedy rather than a drama. After some shooting by Weber, she thought some of the scenes to be shot were insulting to African Americans, including such "racist humor as a stork dropping a black baby into a trash can". "Topsy and Eva" was reassigned to Del Lord to direct, with some additional scenes by D.W. Griffith.