The 24 Mar 1928 Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World announced that Fred Niblo would direct the forthcoming picture, referred to as War in the Dark throughout production, for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp. (M-G-M), with Greta Garbo set to star. The story, based on Ludwig Wolff’s 1915 German novel, Der Krieg im Dunkel (War in the Dark), was being adapted for the screen by Bess Meredyth, and a 9 Apr 1928 production start date was anticipated.
       The 25 Apr 1928 Var reported that Carmel Myers would appear in the film. However, on 2 May 1928, Var noted that Myers’s role had been recast with Betty Blythe, playing the only other woman except Garbo in the picture. Filming was expected to begin the following week.
       Principal photography began one month behind schedule on 9 May 1928 at M-G-M Studios in Culver City, CA, as indicated in the 26 May and 23 Jun 1928 Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World.
       The 3 Jun 1928 FD stated that Niblo was considering including sound sequences in the film, but it was ultimately produced only in a silent version.
       The 16 Jun 1928 Moving Picture News added (Prince) Youcca Troubetzkoy to the cast, and the Dec 1928 Screenland noted that Alexander Toluboff served as art director.
       According to the 26 Jun 1928 FD, the film was expected to open in New York City around 1 Aug 1928.

       The 12 Jul 1928 Exhibitors Daily Review announced the title change to The Mysterious Lady, and stated that production was in its “final stages”; an earlier report in the 23 Jun 1928 Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World indicated that filming had completed that week.
       The picture opened at the Loew’s State Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, on 27 Jul 1928, according to the 4 Aug 1928 Motion Picture News.
       Although the 7 Jul 1928 Har listed an 11 Aug 1928 national release date, the film opened in several cities including Cleveland, OH, beginning on 28 Jul 1928, as reported in the 1 Aug 1928 Var.
       The New York City opening was held at the Capitol Theatre on 4 Aug 1928, according to the 8 Aug 1928 Var, which reviewed the film as Mysterious Lady. Var deemed the picture an “average program,” complaining that Garbo deserved a better story, which Niblo “diluted with excess footage.”