The 24 Aug 1929 Hollywood Filmograph announced the upcoming production by its working title, Take It Big, which marked the feature film debut of vaudeville stars Gus Van and Joseph T. Schenck, known as Van and Schenck. Dialogue for the baseball-themed musical was supplied by sports columnist Arthur “Bugs” Baer. On 21 Sep 1929, Motion Picture News stated that Baer had finished working on the screenplay and left for New York City three days earlier. The 12 Oct 1929 issue also credited Robert Hopkins as a dialogue writer.
       On 28 Sep 1929, Motion Picture News revealed that director Jack Conway had suffered a “breakdown” the previous Wednesday, attributed to an undisclosed condition for which he had recently undergone surgery. He was replaced by Sam Wood.
       News items in the 7 Oct 1929 Film Daily and 6 Nov 1929 Var noted that actress Nina Mae McKinney appeared in a specialty dance routine, wearing a costume adorned with beads and ostrich feathers. Various sources also credited singer-comedian Cliff Edwards and former baseball star Mike Donlin with minor roles.
       According to the 8 Oct 1929 Film Daily, songwriters Jack Yellen and Milton Ager had recently completed writing music for the picture. Although the 25 Oct 1929 edition claimed that the team composed ten songs for the project, only six were used in the final edit.
       The 26 Oct 1929 Motion Picture News revealed that production company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp. (MGM) had lost the negatives for all scenes shot over the previous three days. In addition to Take It Big, the studio also ordered retakes on Anna Christie, Lord Byron of Broadway (1930, see entries), and all films in progress from distribution client Tiffany-Stahl Productions. Following the end of principal photography, the 20 Nov 1929 Var reported that MGM editors were tasked with cutting 50,000 feet of baseball sequences to 800 feet.
       The title was briefly changed to Playing the Field, as reported in the 29 Nov 1929 Film Daily, before the official title, They Learned About Women, was announced in the 15 Dec 1929 edition. As stated in the 5 Apr 1930 Harrison’s Reports, the picture was released on 14 Feb 1930 as an all-talking feature, available with both optical and disc soundtracks. No mention was made of a silent version. The 17 May 1930 edition suggested that the New York City debut had been postponed because MGM lacked confidence in the film. According to a review in the 14 Jun 1930 Harrison’s Reports, the picture had recently opened at the Loew’s New York Theatre, described as “a second and third-run” venue. Reviews ranged from lukewarm to positive, with both the Feb 1930 Motion Picture Reviews and Apr 1930 Educational Screen declaring the film inappropriate for children and adolescents. An item in the 22 Mar 1930 Motion Picture News noted that recordings of an unspecified song from the film had been banned in Ohio, although it was not deleted from any prints circulating within the state.
       On 2 Jul 1930, Var reported the 28 Jun 1930 death of Joseph T. Schenck from heart disease. The team had finished an engagement the previous night in Detroit, MI. Gus Van appeared in a small number of additional films, mostly short subjects, after his partner's death.