Three days after the release of Mutiny on the Bounty (see entry), the 11 Nov 1962 NYT announced that producer Aaron Rosenberg’s next project would be an adaptation of Werner Jörg Lüddecke’s World War II sea thriller, Morituri, which was published in Germany in 1960. At the time, Daniel Taradash had already begun work on the screenplay, for which a 1 Aug 1962 DV item said he would receive $175,000. The 1 May 1964 NYT stated that Morituri was one of many new projects contributing to a production boom at Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp., following the studio’s financial struggles related to the excessive spending on Cleopatra (1963, see entry).
       As reported by the 7 Feb 1963, 11 Jun 1963, and 13 Jun 1963 DV, stars such as Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston, and Robert Stack were considered for the leading role, while the 10 Jun 1963 LAT claimed Lee J. Cobb had been signed to play “Capt. Asmann,” who is not in the final film. Development stalled until the following spring, when a 17 Apr 1963 NYT news item announced that Rosenberg would reteam with Mutiny on the Bounty star Marlon Brando. According to the 20 Jan 1964 Var and 7 Feb 1965 NYT, recent Screen Actors Guild (SAG) union rules limited the number of European actors Rosenberg was allowed to hire to portray the film’s German characters, as only major stars set for key roles were permitted to accept work in the U.S. A 4 Sep 1964 LAT brief included Paul Baxler and Glen Wilder among the cast, but their participation could not be confirmed.
       Although a 28 Aug 1963 DV advertisement listed Martin Ritt as the attached director, the 22 Apr 1964 edition noted that Brando was consulting with Rosenberg about possible contenders, in hope of avoiding a “repetition” of Mutiny on the Bounty, which was not well received. By the summer, Bernhard Wicki had signed on, and an 11 Jun 1964 DV story reported that he, Rosenberg, and Taradash were in Nagoya, Japan, inspecting a German freighter to be sent to the Southern California coast. Most of the picture would be shot onboard an authentic vessel, with remaining footage completed at the Fox studios in Los Angeles, CA. According to the 6 Oct 1964 LAT, the selected ship was the 10,000-ton Blue Dolophin, which would be leased by the production after making a scheduled trip to San Francisco, CA. Although chosen for its aged appearance, the ship crew mistakenly repainted the exterior during the journey, requiring the art department to “re-age” it before filming began off Santa Catalina Island.
       Various sources suggested that principal photography began either 24 or 26 Aug 1964. The production was plagued with problems, including complications with the ship, which broke down four times. The 9 Sep 1964 DV reported that actor Walter Kohler suffered a concussion while on location, and a 23 Jan 1965 LAT column hinted at rumors of conflict between Wicki and the cast, resulting in the director being temporarily barred from the set. Additionally, the 4 Dec 1964 DV cited foggy conditions on Catalina. Consequently, shooting ran more than three weeks over schedule; the 22 Dec 1964 DV stated that the crew was working overtime to have the picture completed within the next two days. One week later, however, the publication reported that final scenes had been pushed until after the Christmas holiday.
       Late into the production, a 23 Nov 1964 DV brief claimed James Brolin had been added to the cast, but he does not appear in the film. Around this time, Brando’s Mutiny on the Bounty co-star Trevor Howard was signed to make a “cameo” appearance.
       As the picture entered post-production, Fox began to have doubts about the title, which was derived from the Latin phrase, Morituri te salutant (“We who are about to die, salute you”), attributed to Roman gladiators. A 21 Apr 1965 DV brief stated that the scene in which Brando’s character uses the quote was cut after a test screening in San Diego, CA, but the 3 May 1965 edition claimed Fox executives in New York City demanded the title, and its explanation, be retained.
       The studio debuted the film in a special New York City festival for press, which the 10 Jun 1965 LAT stated also included Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines and Von Ryan’s Express (1965, see entries). Brando’s promotional interviews for the film became the subject of the documentary, Meet Marlon Brando, which contained footage recorded during the press junket and debuted at the New York Film Festival in 1966.
       A 1 Aug 1965 LAT indicated that the Los Angeles engagement was scheduled to begin three days later at multiple venues. The New York City release followed on 25 Aug 1965, according to the next day’s NYT review, which referred to the picture as The Saboteur: Code Name—Morituri.