| 1 | * 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]]. |
| 2 | * PlayingAgainstType: The two male leads--Creator/GeorgeCScott as the emotionally repressed Archie and Creator/RichardChamberlain, best known at the time as [[Series/DrKildare Dr. Kildare]], as the {{Jerkass}} David. |
| 3 | * WhatCouldHaveBeen: |
| 4 | ** 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 he had a personal falling-out with producer Raymond Wagner (tied in with a TV pilot the two were making at the time that they butted heads over). After paying off Altman, Wagner then enlisted the more bankable Creator/RichardLester, which helped the film finally get greenlighted. 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]] |
| 5 | ** A whole bunch of names were tossed around to play Archie before Scott got the role. Creator/JamesGarner had been the original choice, but Lester didn't think he fit the character. Creator/PaulNewman and Music/FrankSinatra both expressed interest. Creator/HenryFonda was courted. Lester wanted Creator/LeeMarvin. |
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