ardo ▁Cor te z . ▁The ▁film ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁best s elling ▁novel ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁name ▁by ▁T iff any ▁Th ayer ▁and ▁was ▁adapted ▁for ▁the ▁screen ▁by ▁Bart lett ▁C orm ack ▁and ▁Samuel ▁Or nitz . ▁ ▁Several ▁characters ▁were ▁deleted ▁from ▁the ▁film ' s ▁final ▁version , ▁including ▁those ▁played ▁by ▁Leon ▁Am es , ▁Ph yll is ▁F ras er , ▁and ▁Betty ▁F urn ess ▁( in ▁what ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁F urn ess ' s ▁film ▁debut ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 6 ). ▁The ▁film ▁port ray s ▁only ▁eleven ▁women , ▁not ▁th ir teen , ▁with ▁F ras er ▁and ▁F urn ess ▁playing ▁the ▁two ▁characters ▁edited ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁film . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁premier ed ▁in ▁October ▁at ▁the ▁Ro xy ▁Theater ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁on ▁October ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 3 2 , ▁then ▁released ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁and ▁a ▁few ▁other ▁cities ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 3 2 . ▁A ▁limited ▁national ▁release ▁came ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 . ▁Origin ally ▁running ▁sevent y - three ▁minutes , ▁the ▁studio ▁edited ▁four teen ▁minutes ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁picture ▁prior ▁to ▁release . ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁re - re leased ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁( post - Code ) ▁by ▁R K O , ▁hoping ▁to ▁turn ▁a ▁profit ▁by ▁c ash ing ▁in ▁on ▁the ▁growing ▁popular ity