History Trivia / Petulia

* MidDevelopmentGenreShift: The John Haase novel and the initial screenplay by Barbara Turner both had a RomanticComedy tone. The final shooting script by Lawrence Marcus darkened things up considerably, with Marcus especially [[WriteWhatYouKnow using his own bitter divorce experience]] to inform Archie's marital strife.

* MidDevelopmentGenreShift: The John Haase novel and the initial screenplay by Barbara Turner both had a RomanticComedy tone. The final shooting script by Lawrence Marcus darkened things up considerably, with Marcus especially [[WriteWhatYouKnow using his own bitter divorce experience]] to inform Archie's marital strife. Haase reportedly [[CreatorBacklash didn't care for how the film turned out]].

** The film had a lengthy development process, changing directors and bouncing through different screenplay drafts. Creator/RobertAltman, who was still mainly known as a TV director at the time, was the original director, and played a big role in the development phase, but studio execs ultimately expressed unease over him, and demanded a more experienced director, which is how the project ended up in the hands of Creator/RichardLester. Lester's first major move after getting hired was changing the story's setting from UsefulNotes/LosAngeles to UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco.[[note]]An Altman-directed ''Petulia'' set in L.A. almost sounds like it could've been a precursor to his later skeptical looks at [=SoCal=] life in ''Film/TheLongGoodbye'', ''Film/CaliforniaSplit'' and ''Film/ShortCuts''.[[/note]]

* MidDevelopmentGenreShift: The John Haase novel and the initial screenplay by Barbara Turner both had a RomanticComedy tone. The final shooting script by Lawrence Marcus darkened things up considerably, with Marcus especially [[WriteWhatYouKnow using his own bitter divorce experience]] to inform Archie's marital strife.

** Creator/HenryFonda was slated to play Archie at one point. Richard Lester wanted Creator/LeeMarvin.
** Creator/RobertAltman, who was still mainly known as a TV director at the time, was originally supposed to direct and played a big role in the development phase, but the studio decided he was too inexperienced to handle the film.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: It's very much a time capsule of San Francisco in TheSixties (including cameos by Music/JanisJoplin and Music/TheGratefulDead), which gave it an added layer of meaning over the years.

* PlayingAgainstType: The two male leads--Creator/GeorgeCScott as the emotionally repressed Archie and Richard Chamberlain, best known at the time as [[Series/DrKildare Dr. Kildare]], as the {{Jerkass}} David.

* PlayingAgainstType: The two male leads--Creator/GeorgeCScott as the emotionally repressed Archie and Richard Chamberlain, best known at the time as [[HospitalHottie Dr. Kildare]], as the {{Jerkass}} David.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/HenryFonda was slated to play Archie at one point.
** Creator/RobertAltman, who was still mainly known as a TV director at the time, was originally supposed to direct and played a big role in the development phase, but the studio decided he was too inexperienced to handle the film.

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** The [[{{Film/MASH}} film versions]] of Col. Blake (Polo's fiancé) and Father Mulcahy (a hospital pillow salesman who bugs Archie) both show up.
** [[Series/WKRPInCincinnati Dr. Johnny Fever]] is one of the spaced-out hippies that give Archie a hard time outside Mr. Mendoza's house.

** The [[{{Film/MASH}} film versions]] of Col. Blake (Polo's fiancé) and Father Mulcahy (a pillow salesman who bugs Archie) both show up.

** Creator/RobertAltman, who was still mainly known as a TV director at the time, was originally supposed to direct and played a big role in the development phase, but the studio decided he was too inexperienced for the film.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: It's very much a time capsule of San Francisco in TheSixties (including cameos by Music/JanisJoplin and Music/TheGratefulDead), which gave it an added layer of meaning over the years.