The song "Dear Mr. Gable" was a birthday present for Clark Gable's 36th birthday. Composer and arranger Roger Edens adapted the old song "You Made Me Love You" by James V. Monaco. It was sung at Gable's studio birthday party by a young Judy Garland. Studio head Louis B. Mayer was so impressed by it, that he gave orders to let Garland sing it again in the next great musical MGM was going to produce.
Two years after making this film, Charley Grapewin, who portrays horse trainer Blakeley and shares no scenes with Judy Garland, achieved screen immortality playing Garland's Uncle Henry (husband of "Auntie Em") in the 1939 M-G-M classic The Wizard of Oz (1939). Buddy Ebsen, who dances with Garland in this movie, was originally cast as The Tin Woodman opposite Garland in Oz, but had a serious reaction from inhalation of the character's powdered aluminum makeup and wound up in the hospital. He was replaced by Jack Haley.
In the final number "Your Broadway and My Broadway," there's a neon sign on the right with the writing "Broadway Melody of 1937" - the working title of this movie.
Preceded by The Broadway Melody (1929) and Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935). Followed by Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940). Another film in the series was planned, "Broadway Melody of 1943" starring Eleanor Powell, Gene Kelly, and Lena Horne. However, that project was abandoned, and the numbers that had been filmed for this project were placed into Thousands Cheer (1943) and Broadway Rhythm (1944).
For the number "Your Broadway and Mine," the set is decorated with the names of Broadway stars from the 1910s and 1920s. When Alice (played by Sophie Tucker) starts talking about former times, Tucker's name can be seen on at least all of the neon billboards before the number's end. Then at the end of the number the names change back to what they originally were, with Tucker's only one of them.
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