An article in the 28 Jun 1969 LAT stated that writer-producer Stirling Silliphant heard about Ingrid Bergman’s interest in Rachel Maddux’s 1966 novel, A Walk in the Spring Rain, two years before he approached her to star in a screen adaptation, in late fall 1967. Bergman was then starring in the Broadway production of Eugene O’Neill’s More Stately Mansions (New York City, 31 Oct 1967). An item in the 13 Nov 1968 NYT confirmed Bergman’s involvement in the project, stating that it would be her first American film in twenty years, after Joan of Arc (1950, see entry).
       Kevin Billington was initially attached to direct, but his departure was announced in the 28 Mar 1969 DV, which cited Billington’s creative disagreement with Silliphant as the reason. Days later, an item in the 2 Apr 1969 Var reported that Guy Green would take over as director, and that shooting would begin later that month.
       Production was initially planned to take place in the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia. However, by Nov 1968, the locale was shifted to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. The 11 Dec 1968 Var stated that headquarters were set up in Knoxville, TN, where some filming took place. The town of Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park also served as locations. Rehearsals began mid-Apr 1968, as noted in the 15 Apr 1969 DV, and principal photography followed on 21 Apr 1969.
       Production moved from Tennessee to New York City in May or early Jun 1969. Shooting was delayed one day in New York when thieves stole $250,000 worth of equipment from a garage where it was being stored overnight. Replacement gear was brought in from Los Angeles, CA. The 12 Jun 1969 NYT indicated that some shooting was done in Hollywood, CA.
       The world premiere was held on 9 Apr 1970 in Knoxville, where the picture was screened as “an opening social event” for the Knoxville Dogwood Arts Festival, as stated in a 15 Apr 1970 Var article. Theatrical release was scheduled to take place the week of 14 Apr 1970 “in selected locations across the southeast and elsewhere.” Critical reception was largely negative, and the film proved to be a commercial failure.
       A Walk in the Spring Rain marked Katherine Crawford’s feature motion picture acting debut. Pete Kellett was listed as a cast member in the 22 Apr 1969 DV, and Ernest King served as casting director, according to the 29 Apr 1969 DV.
       A book titled Fiction Into Film: A Walk in the Spring Rain was published in 1970 by the University of Tennessee Press. It included Maddux’s novel, Silliphant’s screenplay, and commentary by Neil D. Isaacs “on the fashioning of the script and various stages of production,” according to the 1 Oct 1969 Var. More Less