Alan Tang won the role for his film debut by answering the open audition held by the film company Lan Kwong, which attracted hundreds of applicants. The film is loosely based on the operetta and popular Broadway play of the same title, likely filtered through its Hollywood adaptations of 1924 and 1954. Director Mok Hong-si and scriptwriter Yeung Po-hei transplant the story onto Hong Kong soil, situating it on the campus of a secondary school. Tang turned in an endearing performance that catapulted him to immediate stardom, the film's title becoming his brand name.