 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Muchando cha 1937, Josef von Sternberg akanga ari muVienna achiunganidza vatambi vemufirimu yaEmile Zola Germinal, naHilde Krahl akabatwa kuti atambe Catherine naJean-Louis Barrault saEtienne. Chirongwa chaitsigirwa nemari neAustria chakaparara apo Germany yakapinda munyika yachomuna March 1938. Sternberg, akanga achirwara muLondon panguva iyoyo, akadzokera kumusha kwake kuCalifornia kunorapwa kwemwedzi inoverengeka. 