According to a double-review (the other review being for Spellbound (1945)) written by Bosley Crowther for the New York Times on November 2nd, 1945, this film opened at the Loew's State theater on November 1st, 1945.
The novel, "Paper Chase", upon which this film is based, was serialized in Liberty magazine from 16 January to 6 March 1943. A MGM press release noted the studio purchased the film rights to the book in 1942 while it was still in galley proof form.
The $1M in bonds would equate to over $14.4M in 2019.
Contemporary articles in The Hollywood Reporter mentioned Mary Astor and Marlene Dietrich as possible leads for this film.
This film was first telecast in Los Angeles Wednesday 13 March 1957 on KTTV (Channel 11), followed by Seattle Thursday 14 March 1957 on KING (Channel 5), by Philadelphia Tuesday 19 March 1957 on WFIL (Channel 6) , by New Haven CT Wednesday 27 March 1957 on WNHC (Channel 8), and by Chicago Friday 29 March 1957 on WBBM (Channel 2); it first aired in Altoona PA 3 April 1957 on WFBG (Channel 10), in Portland OR 4 April 1957 on KGW (Channel 8), in Hartford CT 18 April 1957 on WHCT (Channel 18), and in Norfolk VA 6 June 1957 on WTAR (Channel 3); it was first seen in Minneapolis 18 October 1957 on KMGM (Channel 9) and in San Francisco 9 April 1958 on KGO (Channel 7); in New York City its earliest documented airing was 25 July 1959 on WCBS (Channel 2).