One of Glenn Miller's trombones is on display at the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, OH, along with other Miller memorabilia. According to the display notes, the Miller estate allowed James Stewart to "play" this trombone in this film. Another trombone and additional memorabilia are displayed at the Glenn Miller Birthplace Museum in Clarinda, IA.
James Stewart took trombone lessons in order to actually play during scenes where Glenn Miller is seen performing with his orchestra. However, while learning from his tutor, Stewart's attempts at practicing the instrument made such horrible noises that the teacher reportedly went home in a rage every night to his family. It was decided that Stewart would accurately mime the motions of playing (especially apparent during the performance of String of Pearls) while his trombone tutor Joe Yukl did the actual playing.
Among those attending the premiere of the film was Glenn Miller's mother, who thought the film good enough, but opined that her son was better-looking than James Stewart.
Second of three movies where James Stewart and June Allyson played husband and wife. The other two are The Stratton Story (1949) and Strategic Air Command (1955).
The orange street car that is shown behind James Stewart when he is outside the pawn shop at the beginning of the film, is the previously defunct but now re-opened "Angels Flight", a landmark 2'6" (762 mm) narrow-gauge funicular railway in the Bunker Hill district of downtown Los Angeles, California. The Angels Flight tracks connected Hill Street and Olive Street. It operated from 1901 until it was closed in 1969, when its site was cleared for redevelopment.