Nearly two years after a 14 Aug 1964 LAT brief first noted that filmmaker Samuel Fuller had an original screenplay in the works titled The Iron Kiss, the 23 Jun 1956 edition announced his intention to produce it as a stage play that could then be reworked as part of his five-feature deal with RKO Pictures. Fuller elaborated on his plans in the 3 Feb 1957 issue of LAT, explaining that he considered building a theatrical stage show into the budget as an expensive “rehearsal” from which he could collect feedback from critics to improve upon the script. However, contemporary sources did not indicate a legitimate version was ever publicly staged, and Fuller took the property with him when he moved from RKO to Columbia Pictures the following year. A 26 Jul 1958 NYT article claimed Fuller was now contracted to make four pictures for Columbia through his production banner, Globe Enterprises, Inc. Although The Iron Kiss was to be the first project on his slate, development did not move ahead.
       Five years later, Fuller struck a deal to produce and direct The Iron Kiss for Leon Fromkess and Sam Firks’s independent company, Allied Artists, which would also serve as a distributor. A 13 Jul 1963 LAT news story reported that John Washbrook had been tested for a major role. Despite Allied’s firm financial commitment, various DV items indicated that the Jul 1963 start date was repeatedly pushed until 21 Oct 1963. Principal photography took place on the Samuel Goldwyn Studios Los Angeles, CA. Shortly after production began, the 6 Nov 1963 DV reported that the title was changed to The Naked Kiss.
       Production was likely brief, as an 28 Feb 1965 NYT article profiling Fuller’s filmmaking style claimed that, “on the average, Fuller [spent] 10 days and $200,000 making a movie.” On 29 Nov 1963, DV noted that star Constance Towers had returned to the studio during post-production to complete voice dubbing for her role, which included singing.
       According to the 6 Nov 1963 Var, psychiatrist Dr. Thomas J. Myers served as a technical advisor throughout production.
       A 31 Dec 1963 DV item announced that Allied Artists had scheduled a barbeque and press premiere in Towers’s hometown of Whitefish, MT, on 2-3 Apr 1964. The 25 Mar 1964 Var reported additional publicity efforts through the publishing of a paperback novelization by Belmont Books.
       Sources indicated that the picture debuted 4 May 1964 at the Roosevelt Theatre in Chicago, IL. A box-office report published in the 6 May 1964 DV suggested that screenings were also booked around this time at the Grand Circus Theater in Detroit, MI. The Naked Kiss opened 28 Oct 1964 in New York City, and daily theater guides published in the 18-23 Nov 1964 editions of the LAT revealed that the film had a one-week run at the Brawley Drive-In in Brawley, CA, before its official Los Angeles, CA, area release as the companion feature to Youngblood Hawke (see entry) on 13 Jan 1965.