Young Man of Manhattan marked the feature film debut of Ginger Rogers. Richard Arlen was initially cast opposite lead actress Claudette Colbert, as announced in the 19 November 1929 Los Angeles Times, but he did not remain with the project. Katherine Brush, author of the 1930 novel on which the film was based, visited Paramount Publix Corp.’s studio in Long Island, NY, where she conferred with writer Robert Presnell on the script adaptation, according to a 7 January 1930 Film Daily news brief. Shooting began at the Long Island studio the following month, on 3 February 1930. The 2 February 1930 and 3 February 1930 issues of Film Daily identified Walter Wanger as head of feature production at the studio, James R. Cowan as general manager, and Frank Heath as casting director.
       As noted in the 5 February 1930 Film Daily, director Monta Bell’s experience as a former newspaper reporter made him particularly qualified to depict the story of sports writer “Toby McLean” with authentic details. An article in the 9 February 1930 New York Times noted that Bell chose to construct a four-wall living room set, instead of the customary two or three-walled set for camera mobility, “to gain realism and acoustical improvement in the recording.” A fight scene recreating the 1926 Tunney-Dempsey boxing match in Philadelphia, PA, was enhanced with artificial rain that required 100,000 gallons of water, according to the 16 March 1930 New York Times. The 23 February 1930 issue also noted that Bell cast Tommy Reilly, the real-life referee of that fight, to play himself. The fight scene called for a number of extras, and as noted in the 5 March 1930 Variety, “several hundred strikers of the Ladies Garment Workers’ Union” appeared in the scene at a rate of $7.50 per day.
       Principal photography was completed in the last week of February 1930, four days ahead of schedule, as reported in the 2 March 1930 Film Daily and 5 March 1930 Variety.
       An item in the 9 February 1930 Film Daily announced that young actor John MacDowell was cast in the picture.
       Theatrical release on 17 May 1930 was preceded by a New York City opening on 18 April 1930. According to a 15 April 1930 Film Daily item, in addition to the sound version of this film a silent version was edited by Emma Hill.
       According to the Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database, this film is extant.