Producer Norman Lear and his partner at Tandem Productions, Inc., Bud Yorkin, acquired screen rights to Rowland Barber’s 1960 novel, The Night They Raided Minsky’s, in summer 1965, with plans to begin shooting in Feb 1967, as stated in the 9 Aug 1965 DV. The film was set to be financed as part of a $20-million production slate at Tandem, which included an estimated “five pictures, two TV specials and one TV series,” according to a 6 Jan 1966 LAT brief. On 23 Mar 1966, Var reported that United Artists (UA) would release the picture, and director William Friedkin’s involvement was announced in the 22 May 1967 DV.
       Tony Curtis was initially cast as “Raymond Paine,” the 16 Jun 1967 NYT noted. However, the 28 Jul 1967 DV reported that Curtis had left the project, which was scheduled to begin shooting on 11 Sep 1967, due to “differences over his role.” Alan Alda was hired to replace Curtis, but a scheduling conflict with his role in the Broadway musical The Apple Tree (New York City, 18 Oct 1966) led to his departure. Jason Robards, Jr.’s casting as Alda’s replacement was announced in the 7 Sep 1967 NYT.
       Actress Britt Ekland recalled in a 25 Jul 1967 LAT interview that principal photography was initially set to take place in Los Angeles, CA, but was later moved to New York City, where the story is set. Filming began on 9 Oct 1967, according to an 8 Dec 1967 DV production chart. Locations included the Gaiety Theatre, described in the 13 Sep 1967 Var as a former burlesque club located on 2nd Avenue and 12th Street, which had had difficulties with the theatrical unions and had been “closed as a stage-show centre for some time.” An entire block of 26th Street, between First and Second Avenues, served as the filming site for two weeks, according to a 10 Oct 1967 NYT article. The 27 Sep 1967 Var noted the block had been scheduled for demolition shortly before production was set to begin, but Mayor John V. Lindsay granted a last-minute reprieve to allow filmmakers to shoot there.
       On 3 Dec 1967, with two weeks of filming still remaining, seventy-two-year-old actor Bert Lahr, who played “Professor Spats,” died. Although Lahr had been due to perform in more scenes, an item in the 6 Dec 1967 NYT quoted Lear as saying, “Through judicious editing we will be able to shoot the rest of the film so that his wonderful performance will remain virtually intact.” An 8 Dec 1967 LAT brief noted that Lahr’s absence would entail “a little tightening in the script.” According to the 4 Dec 1968 Var, the final edit required “every frame filmed” of the actor, “including some test footage, and doubles, with voice over imitation when needed.”
       Various contemporary sources, including the 27 Nov 1968 Var, pointed out that UA was placing heavy emphasis on first-time actor Dexter Maitland in its promotions for The Night They Raided Minsky’s, boasting that his promising debut had led to a long-term deal between Maitland and Tandem Productions. However, the picture marked Maitland’s only feature film appearance.
       The picture opened in Dec 1968 to mixed reviews, although the production design and art direction received consistent praise. It was released with an “M” rating (suggested for mature audiences) from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). When the Pacific Drive-In Theatres chain ran a two-column advertisement warning parents not to take their children to see The Night They Raided Minsky’s or the British film Corruption, which carried a more severe “R” rating, Lear took objection and sent the company a wire message. The 11 Mar 1969 DV quoted Lear’s note, which argued, among other things, that the notice had unfairly conflated his M-rated film with the R-rated Corruption. This occurred shortly after a 15 Jan 1969 Var article had reported the film was doing well at the box office. By early 1970, it had grossed $3 million in film rentals, as cited in the 7 Jan 1970 Var.
       On 19 Mar 1969, a Var brief noted the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City had requested a print of The Night They Raided Minsky’s for its permanent collection.
       Dick Shawn, Betty Rowland, and Elaine Dunn were named as cast members in the 23 Jul 1966, 8 Aug 1967, and 16 Sep 1967 LAT, and Charles Maguire was listed as associate producer in the 5 Jul 1967 Var. An item in the 10 Jul 1968 Var indicated that Henny Youngman had recorded voice-over narration, but the narration heard in the final film is credited to Rudy Vallee, who also performed the title song, according to the 15 Dec 1968 LAT review. A conflicting statement in the 4 Dec 1968 DV review claimed “the program lists [Vallee] as singing the title song, which doesn’t exist.”
       The Night They Raided Minsky’s marked Elliott Gould’s U.S. feature film debut, although he had previously appeared in the unreleased 1964 film The Confession, a.k.a. Quick, Let’s Get Married.