Capra and his screenwriters remained extremely faithful to the play, and, as the authors of the play had done during its two-year run, updated the script during filming to keep it timely. Spencer Tracy was the first choice of both Capra and the authors of the play to play the lead. Katharine Hepburn costars, and Adolphe Menjou, Van Johnson and Angela Lansbury play key roles. The film is Capra's only project for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is also the second and final film to be made by Liberty Films before it dissolved in 1951.