Following their collaborations on Shenandoah (1965, see entry) and Bandolero! (1968, see entry), screenwriter James Lee Barrett set out to develop another vehicle for actor James Stewart, who told the 14 Sep 1969 LAT that he was eager to accept new, original material. According to an 11 Feb 1969 DV brief, Stewart’s close friend and three-time co-star Henry Fonda was cast at Stewart’s request. On 17 Mar 1969, LAT announced that actor-turned-filmmaker Gene Kelly had signed on to helm his first Western, serving as both director and producer for National General Productions, Inc.
       According to the 9 Jul 1969 DV, Maureen O’Hara was originally considered for the role of “Jenny,” but could not accept due to scheduling conflicts. Casting announcements in the 20 Aug 1969 and 12 Sep 1969 editions indicated that Minta Durfee was hired for a role, while Tyler McVey, Sam Edwards, Gil Perkins, Dan White, Mike Mahoney, and George Berkley were among the supporting cast.
       An 11 Jul 1969 DV production chart revealed that principal photography began that day in Santa Fe, NM, which doubled as the setting of “Cheyenne, WY.” Articles in the 20 Jun 1969 and 6 Jul 1970 DV detailed a $250,000 “Western town” set constructed on the ranch of businessman J. W. Eaves. A fan of motion pictures, Eaves reportedly helped finance costs for the several buildings and a mile of railroad track needed for The Cheyenne Social Club, and later invested in additional expansions to open the Eaves Movie Ranch with the hope of attracting more filmmakers and tourists. Toward the end of location shooting, a 7 Aug 1969 DV item reported that a heavy rainstorm had destroyed a ten-foot dam intended for the next day’s scene. Despite a brief shutdown, the 8 Aug 1969 DV indicated that filming was completed two days ahead of schedule, with the unit set to resume work on Monday, 11 Aug 1969, at the Samuel Goldwyn Studio lot in Hollywood, CA. Production was expected to conclude six weeks later.
       According to the 23 Sep 1969 DV, George Eckert worked on the film as a dialogue coach.
       On 10 Jun 1970, Var noted that Stewart, Fonda, and Kelly were on hand to attend that evening’s world premiere event in Salt Lake City, UT. A 17 Jun 1970 DV brief indicated that the company’s distribution arm, National General Pictures Corporation, began opening the picture regionally in at least eight theaters across Montana; Idaho; Salt Lake City; Des Moines, IA; and Omaha, NE, while box-office reports in the 1 Jul 1970 Var suggested more playdates were added in cities such as Boston, MA; Portland, OR; and Denver, CO. A Los Angeles, CA, engagement began 17 Jun 1970 at the Picwood Theatre, where it played exclusively for one month before the 23 Jul 1970 LAT announced its citywide expansion the following week. The film opened in New York City on 16 Sep 1970. A 20 Jan 1971 Var article listed domestic rentals totaling $5 million.
       The 15 Feb 1971 LAT stated that James Lee Barrett’s screenplay was nominated for a Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award as one of that year’s best original American comedies.