One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since. Its initial television presentation took place in Omaha Tuesday 6 January 1959 on KETV (Channel 7), followed by Minneapolis 2 February 1959 on WTCN (Channel 11), by Denver 20 April 1959 on KBTV, by Seattle 10 July 1959 on KIRO (Channel 7), by Chicago 19 September 1959 on WBBM (Channel 2), by Milwaukee 17 October 1959 on WITI (Channel 6), by Grand Rapids 10 November 1959 on WOOD (Channel 8), and by Asheville, North Carolina 27 November 1959 on WLOS (Channel 13). It was released on DVD 2 November 2010 as one of 6 titles in Universal's Bing Crosby Collection, as a single 27 September 2013 as part of the Universal Vault Series, and again 11 November 2014 as one of the 24 titles in Universal's Bing Crosby Silver Screen Collection; since that time, it's also had occasional airings on cable TV on Turner Classic Movies.
"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30-minute radio adaptation of the movie on October 14, 1948, with Barry Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby reprising their film roles.
Nat Dorkas tells Jim Pearson that he used about 20 cents of gas to drive out to the fishing spot to find him. That would have been 14 to 15 miles outside the small town of Fallbridge. The average automobile gas price in 1947 was 23 cents per gallon, and most cars then got 13-14 miles per gallon in town. With four to five miles more for highway driving, which was more efficient up to the then speed limits of 45 to 55, he probably would have driven 30 to 35 miles per hour on a gravel county road outside the town.
"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60-minute radio adaptation of the movie on
April 5, 1954, with Barry Fitzgerald reprising his film role.
"Welcome Stranger" ranked seventh among box office (domestic rentals) for 1947 and took in $6.1 million. It was Paramount's second-highest-grossing movie after "Unconquered," which took in $7.5 million. The highest-grossing movies of the year were "The Best Years of Our Lives" ($11.5 million), "Duel in the Sun" ($10.75 million), and "The Jolson Story" and "Forever Amber" (both $8 million).