The 8 Jan 1963 DV reported that director Frank Tashlin would start preproduction that week. According to the 15 Feb 1963 DV, veteran actress Bette Davis declined a role in the film, but assured star Jerry Lewis that she would consider appearing in one of his future projects. A news item in the 27 Feb 1963 DV stated that television actress Myrna Fahey was testing for a role; she was not credited on screen. Production charts in the 29 Mar 1963 DV reported that principal photography began 25 Mar 1963 at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, CA.
       As noted in the 29 Mar 1963 DV, property department chief Gordon Cole and his assistants, Earl Olin and Jim Cottrell, were responsible for approximately 26,480 items that comprised the inventory of the titular department store, including rowboats, women’s shoes, and “semi-harmless toy atom bombs.” Cole also commissioned eighty poodles from Allied Movie Dogs for a scene on Paramount’s “New York Street.” The 6 Mar 1963 DV credited Bobby Van with staging the film’s musical sequences.
       Production continued into May 1963, as indicated by the 20 May 1963 NYT. The 21 May 1963 DV revealed that actress Agnes Moorehead had completed her role and was returning to New York City.
       Six months later, the 15 Nov 1963 DV announced that the picture would open at 400 theaters over the holiday season. The 25 Nov 1963 DV reported that a 22 Nov 1963 sneak preview was postponed, due to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy earlier that day.
       Who’s Minding the Store? opened 27 Nov 1963 in New York City and 31 Dec 1963 in Los Angeles, CA, to mixed reviews. The 7 Jan 1964 DV reported earnings approaching $205,000 following the picture’s first week in Los Angeles. The 3 Jan 1964 DV noted that Paramount paired the film with the upcoming release, Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed (1963, see entry) as a special New Year’s Eve event. The latter film starred Lewis’s former comedy partner, Dean Martin.
       An article in the 12 Jan 1964 NYT noted that at least twenty brand names appeared in the department store scenes. A spokesman for Channel Master, whose products were featured prominently onscreen, commended Paramount for conceiving a film that “offered unexcelled opportunities” for product placement. Paramount merchandise coordinator Lige Brien was credited with arranging the sponsorships. Featured brands included Browning firearms, Sealy mattresses, Esquire shoe polish, and Wembley neckties.
       The 1 Apr 1963 DV listed Byron Foulger, Felice Richmond, and Glen Walters among the cast. Also mentioned was Scottish actress Quinn O’Hara, who claimed that her birth in an elevator qualified her to play an elevator operator. During a brief interview with the 7 Apr 1963 LAT, child actor Jimmy Gaines mentioned his participation in the film. A news item in the 13 Mar 1963 DV credited Linn Unkefer and Ted Ashton as unit publicists.