This film was photographed with the newly developed super-sensitive Eastman film, which is credited with improving the quality of the picture, especially in scenes where little light was used.
Louis B. Mayer wanted a happy ending unlike the novel where the army lieutenant kills himself because of inability to pay his debts.
Schnabel in German means beak as in bird's beak. On rifles made in Europe, some have a turned down piece of wood on the front of the stock. That is known as a schnabel forend.
Initially a musical, the studio eliminated all the songs fearing the demise of the genre.