MGM purchased the film rights to the novel by MacKinlay Kantor in February 1942 and production of the movie began in October 1942 with W.S. Van Dyke as director and Robert Taylor, Susan Peters, Spring Byington, Charley Grapewin, Van Johnson, Morris Ankrum and James Craig. The production was halted and finally shelved after Van Dyke became ill following 4 weeks of shooting, and when it was revived in 1944, only Ankrum and Craig remained in the cast, but in different roles.
The phonograph the Goss brothers buy for their mother is an Edison Fireside Model A.
This film's initial telecast in Los Angeles took place Friday 20 August 1957 on KTTV (Channel 11), followed by Philadelphia Friday 20 September 1957 on WFIL (Channel 6), followed by San Francisco 12 February 1958 on KGO (Channel 7), and, finally by New York City 23 June 1960 on WCBS (Channel 2).
Paul Langton, who played Annie's son Vi (Violet) Goss, became most famous for his role as Leslie Harrington on the 1960s nighttime soap opera Peyton Place.