Henreid had previously appeared in some British-American co-productions made in England and had starred on Broadway in the play Flight to the West as Paul von Hernreid.

[5] After his breakthrough starring role in This Gun for Hire (1942), Joan of Paris was re-released with Ladd more prominently featured.

Later, Father Antoine obtains the name of a contact, a schoolteacher (May Robson) who agrees to a secret meeting with Joan, where she promises to arrange for a seaplane to land at night on the Seine River to pick up Paul and the fliers.

At the end, Joan bravely walks out of her cell to facd a German firing squad, giving Father Antoine a message for Paul: She wanted to live for him.

“ in the heart of France, when she is risen again.” She turns to leave and whispers “Tally ho, Paul.”[6] The camera moves to the clock Paul gave her, which is chiming.

The firing squad is heard off screen, Cut to five planes flying through the sunlit clouds over inspiring music that includes phrases from La Marseillaise.

According to pre-production news items in The Hollywood Reporter, RKO considered Charles Boyer, Robert Morley and Jean Gabin for leads in the film.

"[8] Joan of Paris used the largest single set constructed by the studio since the making of Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939).

[7] Principal photography took place from mid-September to late October 1941, and although ready for release in December 1941, RKO held the film back for an early 1942 release to capitalize on public interest in the aftermath of the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States' entry into World War II.

[11] Joan of Paris received a glowing review from film critic Bosley Crowther in The New York Times, " here is a tale of personal valor and selfless sacrifice which is told so simply and eloquently, and is so beautifully played that it might be a true re-enactment of a gallant episode.

Though the comparison is never explicitly made, both the film's name and the protagonist's tragic heroic end strongly suggest that she is a kind of modern incarnation of Joan of Arc.