William Powell suggested his ex-wife Carole Lombard for the leading role with the explanation that his real -life romance with her had been much the same as it was for the characters of Godfrey and Irene.
Carole Lombard had a habit of ad-libbing by inserting swear words into the dialogue, which necessitated the re-shooting of several scenes.
When William Powell and director Gregory La Cava had a disagreement over how Godfrey should be played, they talked it out over a bottle of Scotch in Powell's dressing room. The next day, LaCava returned to the movie set with a major headache, but Powell was not there. The director received a telegram from his star: "We may have found Godfrey last night but we lost Powell. See you tomorrow."
Although stars William Powell and Carole Lombard had been divorced for three years by the time they made this, when offered the title role, Powell declared that the only actress right for the part of Irene was Lombard.
A stand-in (Chick Collins) was used when William Powell carries Carole Lombard over his shoulder up the stairs to her bedroom.
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