On 27 Jul 1956, NYT reported that Hecht-Lancaster Productions was pursuing screen rights to Carson McCullers’s 1941 novel, Reflections in a Golden Eye, for writer Tennessee Williams and director Carol Reed. Five years later, however, a 6 Aug 1961 NYT article announced the option by Ray Stark and Eliot Hyman of Seven Arts Productions. The company was set to produce in association with Louis de Rochemont once he completed The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961, see entry), but de Rochemont did not remain with the project. Development continued for several years, during which time the 20 Jul 1963 NYT named Keir Dullea for the role of “Private Williams.”
       Following a successful collaboration on The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962), British director Tony Richardson signed a multi-picture deal with Seven Arts, which included Reflections in a Golden Eye. The 17 May 1964 NYT and 20 May 1964 Var indicated that Richardson would also produce through American Woodfall Productions, the newly formed U.S. division of Woodfall Productions, which he co-owned with John Osborne. The script had been written by twenty-four-year-old Francis Ford Coppola, and the budget was estimated at $2.5 million.
       By the following year, however, a 25 Feb 1965 DV brief indicated that the film no longer had a writer, and no further contemporary sources mention Richardson’s involvement. The property struggled to find a home, as news items in the 31 Mar 1965 and 30 Mar 1966 Var cited negotiations with both United Artists and Paramount Pictures before it was picked up by Warner Bros. The 21 Apr 1965 Var and 26 Aug 1965 NYT suggested that Joanne Woodward and Richard Burton were in talks for roles, although they do not appear in the final film. Peter Glenville was also mentioned as director, and the expected locale reportedly changed from Louisiana to Mexico. On 20 Apr 1966, LAT announced that filmmaker John Huston would direct a script by English novelist Chapman Mortimer, whose work Huston greatly admired. With a start date finally scheduled for early fall, Ray Stark decided to step down from his executive position at Seven Arts to personally oversee his productions. According to the 29 Jun 1966 and 19 Oct 1966 Var, the agreement allowed him to continue serving as a consultant for the company, and stipulated a $62,500 bonus should he deliver Reflections in a Golden Eye to Warner Bros. within the designated budget.
       Meanwhile, Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift were signed to portray the unhappily married couple “Leonora” and “Maj. Weldon Penderton.” According to a 13 Mar 1978 DV review of Patricia Bosworth’s biography, Montgomery Clift, Taylor, a longtime friend, personally covered the actor’s insurance fee, as most major studios were no longer willing to hire him due to his increased dependency on drugs and alcohol. Despite these efforts, Clift died of a heart attack on 23 Jul 1966, prompting a rush to secure a replacement in time for filming. A 17 Aug 1966 Var report claimed that Burton, Taylor’s husband at the time, was once again in consideration, but the role ultimately went to Marlon Brando.
       According to a 30 Sep 1966 DV production chart, principal photography began four days earlier, on 26 Sep 1966. Items in the 5 Oct 1966 DV, 17 Oct 1966 NYT, and 26 Oct 1966 Var reported that the first portion of the film was shot in Long Island, NY, on locations in Garden City and the Mitchel Field Air Force Base. The unit then spent the remaining ten weeks at the Dino De Laurentiis Studios in Rome, Italy, which NYT claimed was done “solely to accommodate” Taylor. This decision proved to be problematic following an aggressive incident on 24 Nov 1966 between Brando and the Italian paparazzi. As a result, the 12 Dec 1966 DV and 26 Apr 1967 Var alleged that Huston threatened to cancel the final weeks of production and reassess plans for future projects in Italy. An 18 Jan 1967 Var news item indicated that Huston briefly left the country, during which time production designer Stephen Grimes completed pickup shots with Taylor. Huston wrapped solo work with Brando upon his return.
       The 30 Nov 1966 Var stated that former British boxing champion Dave Crowley was cast as a referee in the film, but his involvement could not be determined. Additionally, a 4 Oct 1967 LAT news story named Mary Squire as Brando’s stand-in, and the 1 Nov 1967 Var revealed that Taylor used a body double for her nude scene.
       Although publicity surrounding the film often focused on the potentially controversial adult themes, the 6 Sep 1967 Var announced that no edits had been made to the completed cut, which received a Production Code seal from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and was tagged as “Suggested for Mature Audiences.”
       According to a 5 Oct 1967 LAT advertisement, the Los Angeles, CA, world premiere engagement was scheduled to begin 10 Oct 1967 at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, followed by a New York City opening the next day. Contemporary reviews noted that the initial release was screened in a monochromatic sepia tone, with only selected objects, often pink, appearing in color. While the 8 Oct 1967 LAT praised Huston’s coloring, NYT critic Bosley Crowther’s 12 Oct 1967 critique called the effect “pretentious” and distracting for viewers. A 24 Dec 1967 NYT letter to the editor revealed that later engagements featured full Technicolor prints.