McFadden's Flats has held "a unique place in the hearts of theatregoers for more than thirty years", said Small in 1926. "But even this story requires changes and elaboration before it can be placed before screen audiences. This is partly due to the fact that the camera permits a visualisation of situations that could only be suggested on the stage."[6]
In addition the villainy present in the original play was downplayed. Small:
The substitution of many laughs must have made up for the lack of villainy. Newer productions are proving that audiences the world over want to laugh, and that they don't mind if the usual rules of production are overlooked in the finding of those laughs. Successful entertainment of the future will run more and more to humour than sobs, and money will be emended for ideas rather than lavish settings.[7]
Grant Clarke and Jack Wagner wrote three new comedy sequences for the movie which saw its shooting schedule extended from ten days to two weeks.[8]
^"'McFadden's Flats' Filmed" The Christian Science Monitor [Boston, Mass] February 8, 1927: 8.
^"They're Friendly Enemies: McFadden and McTavish Find Plenty to Quarrel About in 'McFadden's Flats'" Lipke, Katherine. Los Angeles Times March 20, 1927: C21.
^"American Audiences Revise Idea of Virtue and Comedy", Los Angeles Times November 14, 1926: C23
^"New Pictures". The Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. July 6, 1927. p. 11. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
^"Honors at Show Go to Old-Timers: 'Four Jolly Thesplans' With White Hair Popular at Pantages" Los Angeles Times November 23, 1926: A11.
^"While the Films Reel By". Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times January 11, 1942: C3.
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