Producer Jerry Fairbanks was quoted in an 11 Apr 1966 DV article, stating that the script for Project Saucer was originally written by Rip Van Ronkel “over a decade ago when flying saucers first became the rage in the U.S.” Fairbanks had recently enlisted director Frank Telford and “a new team of writers” to update the screenplay, and had made a deal with Miguel Tudela of Producciones Dia to film the picture in Spain, beginning in late May 1966. Rudy Medina of National Telefilm Associates (NTA), who had previous experience with Spanish co-productions, was hired to work on the film, and, per the co-production agreement, Fairbanks promised to pay for special effects shooting in Hollywood, CA, as well as deliver the script, writer-director Frank Telford, two American movie stars, and special effects man John Fulton. Six weeks of production were scheduled to take place at an abandoned monastery in the Guadarrama Mountains.
       The 27 May 1966 DV reported that Fairbanks and NTA’s chief, Bernard Tabakin, were firming a distribution deal. The project was referred to in the 2 Jun 1966 DV as an “Spanish-Italo” coproduction; however, four months later, a 5 Oct 1966 DV item announced that Fairbanks had decided to shoot entirely in Hollywood, after striking deals with several unions that would allow him to make the film for the same low cost he would have achieved in Spain. Shooting was scheduled to be done on the Producers Studio lot (which would later become Raleigh Studios), with principal photography slated to begin on 26 Sep 1966. A 14 Oct 1966 DV production chart confirmed that starting date, and referred to the film by the working title Operation Blue Book.
       A final title change to The Bamboo Saucer was indicated in a 15 Nov 1967 LAT brief, which noted that theatrical distribution would be handled by NTA subsidiary World Entertainment Corp. The picture opened in Providence, RI, the week of 30 Jan 1968, according to a 31 Jan 1968 DV article, and reportedly grossed only $2,000 in its first week there. World Entertainment Corp.’s Irving Sochin contested that figure in the 7 Feb 1968 Var, asserting that the picture had grossed more than $2,000 in its first weekend alone. The film continued to open regionally, and was reviewed in the 29 Oct 1968 DV.
       Richard Egan was cast in the picture, according to the 2 Jun 1966 DV. Items in the 28 Sep 1966 and 4 Oct 1966 issues of DV also named Ron Stokes and Frank Gerstle as cast members.
       On 1 Jul 1966, in the midst of pre-production, writer and special effects man John Fulton died of a blood condition, as stated in his 7 Jul 1966 DV obituary. The Bamboo Saucer also marked the final feature film role for Dan Duryea, who died of cancer on 7 Jun 1968.