 The film was produced by First National, then a division of Warner Bros.

At one point, the studio considered the possibility of shooting some scenes on location in the Soviet Union, but the political situation there made that impossible.Instead, the film was shot at the studio in Hollywood, with sets designed by the art director Anton Grot.The comparatively-large budget of $475,000 allower 41 different sets to be used to recreate Imperial Russia and the early years of the Revolution.