The first of two films with this title Joan Crawford appeared in. The second was Possessed (1947), for which she received an Oscar nomination. This makes Crawford the only star to appear in two completely different films with identical titles.
Possessed (1931) was the third of eight film collaborations between Joan Crawford and Clark Gable. It was their third film together but it was the first time the duo truly clicked with audiences as a screen couple. They also were beginning a torrid love affair that became common knowledge on the MGM lot. In a way, Clarence Brown, the director of Possessed (1931) was partly to blame, according to Joan Crawford (in the biography, Clark Gable by Warren G. Harris): "He sensed the volcanic attraction between his stars and used that for all it was worth...In the picture Clark and I were supposed to be madly in love. When the scenes ended, the emotion didn't." At the time Crawford and Gable were trapped in unhappy marriages. But their magnetic appeal as a screen couple first became apparent in Possessed with its potent blend of politics and sex. When Louis B. Mayer called Clark into his office, he demanded that he end the affair. The actor complied, not wanting to incur Mayer's wrath.
The short films Trader Hound (1931) and I Love a Lassie (1931) played before this film in some theaters during its original theatrical run.
Charlotte Greenwood was signed as a cast member, but she was not seen in the movie. News items mentioned several performers during production, but some did not appear or were not identifiable in the movie. These include Florence Lake, Virginia Sale and Francis Ford.