Published in Jan 1966, Truman Capote’s true crime novel In Cold Blood quickly became a success, placing first on the NYT non-fiction bestseller list for thirteen consecutive weeks from 6 Feb—7 May 1966. However, Hollywood interest in the property preceded its release, as several sources reported competition among studios and producers, including Fred Kohlmar and Otto Preminger. According to a 12 Jan 1967 Var article, Preminger and agent Irving Lazar became involved in a physical altercation at the 21 Club in New York City when Preminger expressed his frustration with Lazar for not allowing him and Frank Sinatra to pursue the film rights. The incident resulted in Preminger being hit over the head with a highball glass, for which Lazar faced criminal charges.
       Despite high bids from other studios, the 12 Jun 1966 LAT reported that Richard Brooks and Columbia Pictures won Capote’s favor by assuring the author that their adaptation would remain faithful to the book. According to a 16 Oct 1966 NYT article, Brooks had desired to make a crime film since 1959, and assumed the roles of writer, producer, and director. The purchase price was rumored at $400,000, although some sources estimated a higher figure. A 16 Oct 1966 NYT news story noted that the deal also gave Capote a thirty percent share of the eventual box-office gross. The total budget, including acquisition fees, was set at just $2 million, with Brooks promising a cast of mostly unknown actors. The LAT quoted the filmmaker as saying, “If the picture were to cost a great deal of money, we would have to please too many people, thereby perhaps [pleasing] very few.” Money was also saved by shooting the picture in black and white, although this was done largely for aesthetic purposes, as Brooks told the NYT that he considered color “too romantic.”
       Casting began shortly after the announcement of the Brooks-Columbia deal, with items in the 21 Jan 1966 DV and 2 Feb 1966 Var claiming that Peter Duryea and Teno Pollick were among those considered to play killers “Perry Smith” and “Dick Hickock.” A 16 Apr 1967 NYT article reported that the studio originally wanted Paul Newman and Steve McQueen, which ignited resistance from Brooks, who felt that their star personas would cloud the credibility of their performances. According to the 4 Jan 1967 LAT, eight finalists were selected from nearly 500 contenders. An 18 Nov 1966 LAT news item reported that Brooks revealed the casting of Robert Blake during a press conference at the Kansas State Penitentiary in Lansing, where Smith and Hickock were hanged for their crimes in 1965. Scott Wilson was cast shortly after the new year. Meanwhile, a 29 Dec 1966 DV brief stated that Martin Balsam was forced to turn down a supporting role due to a previous stage commitment. Items in the 10 and 12 Jun 1967 LAT listed E. A. Nicholson and Walter Beakel among the cast, but neither is credited in the final film.
       The 16 Oct 1966 NYT stated that Brooks retraced the steps of the murderers while writing the script, which rearranged Capote’s story structure for a more chronological version of events. The filmmaker refrained from consulting Capote, while the 16 Apr 1967 NYT article noted that the actors were discouraged from referring to the novel. Instead, Brooks showed them actual crime scene photographs, and never provided a completed script beyond what was being shot that day. Principal photography began in Kansas, although sources referred to conflicting start dates of 27 Feb 1967, 28 Feb 1967, and 6 Mar 1967. In accordance with his desire for realism, nearly the entire picture was filmed on location throughout the middle and western U.S., including Clutter family’s former farm in Holcomb, KS. Items in the 10 Mar 1967, 11 Apr 1967, and 15 Jun 1967 DV indicated that Kansas filming took place in Edgerton, Garden City, Kansas City, Wichita, Topeka, and Emporia. However, the 29 Nov 1966 DV reported that outgoing Kansas Governor William H. Avery denied the unit permission to film inside the Kansas State Penitentiary, and imparted the decision to Governor-elect Robert Docking. Docking also denied their appeal, forcing the company to seek an alternative site at the Colorado State Penitentiary in Canon City. According to an 11 Apr 1967 DV brief, however, interiors of the execution chambers were recreated at the Columbia studios in Hollywood, CA.
       In late May 1967, production relocated to Las Vegas, NV. A 28 May 1967 LAT article noted that two days’ work was completed at the Las Vegas Police Department, after which the 31 May 1967 Var item reported on a fifty-five-person crew working at the Sands Hotel and Casino. The 15 Jun 1967 DV announced the conclusion of production in El Paso, TX, the previous day. Publicity material in AMPAS library files gives the following credit: "Filmed with the cooperation of the People and Law Enforcement Agencies of Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Mexico," indicating that scenes were also shot in Missouri and Mexico.
       According to a 27 Dec 1967 DV news story, Tom Shaw became the first assistant director to ever be acknowledged with his own title card in onscreen credits. In Cold Blood marked Shaw’s third project as Brooks’s assistant, and he also served in an uncredited role as production manager. Although the cinematography was in black and white, the 20 Dec 1967 Var acknowledged Technicolor’s assistance during post-production by printing arrowheads on the outer edges of the film stock, which made it easier for Brooks to find the frame lines while editing nighttime sequences.
       The week of the film’s theatrical release, the 13 Dec 1967 NYT reported that Truman Capote attended a private screening with eighty-five friends at Columbia’s New York City offices. The picture opened the following day at the Cinema I, followed by a West Coast engagement at the Bruin Theater in Westwood, CA, beginning 20 Dec 1967. A 10 Jan 1968 Var advertisement hailed its commercial success at both venues, where it broke records for the biggest three- and two-week gross, respectively.
       The adaptation of Capote’s novel was also popular among critics, and received Academy Award nominations in the following categories: Cinematography, Directing, Music (Original Music Score), and Writing (Screenplay—based on material from another medium). In 2008, AFI ranked In Cold Blood #8 on its “Top 10 of 10” list of the Greatest Courtroom Dramas.