RKO built an expensive ship set for this film. In 1943, producer Val Lewton was given instructions to come up with a low budget film that could use the still standing set. The result was The Ghost Ship (1943).
Originally intended to fill the lower half of a double bill, this film received such positive reviews RKO moved it to the top of the bill for six weeks in major markets.
This film is set in July of 1932. Antibiotics to treat cholera were not widely available until well after WWII - around 1949 or so.
This film was a mild success at the box office, earning RKO a profit of $87,000 according to studio records.