Box Office Bomb: The animators' strike of 1941, as well the continuing World War II, all but ensured that The Reluctant Dragon would fall $200,000 short of its $600,000 price tag. However, this is averted as the film returned $960,000 with $460,000 being generated in the U.S. and Canada alone.
California Doubling: While all the exterior shots were filmed around the studio, a majority of the interior shots were filmed on soundstages. The only exception being the Multiplane Camera scene, since the camera was too heavy to be moved to a soundstage.
Defictionalization: The famous "Mickey Avenue" and "Dopey Drive" sign was actually only created for this movie, and was supposed to be taken down afterwards. It never was, and ever since then has become something of an icon of the studio.
Executive Meddling: After the film, had been completed, RKO Radio Pictures requested that How to Ride a Horse be inserted into the film, replacing an animated sequence featuring Mickey Mouse. Disney complied and created a new negative, perhaps out of desperation for the film getting RKO's full backing and be a financial success, even though the Technicolor lab had already created 70 of the 180 ordered distribution prints.
Money, Dear Boy: The primary reason the film was made, but Walt still tried to make it an entertaining work.
What Could Have Been: As noted above, Benchley was originally to view a scene of a dancing Mickey Mouse before it was replaced by How to Ride a Horse. The Mickey animation didn't go to waste, however; with slight alterations, it was utilized in the 1942 short Mickey's Birthday Party.
