The project was first titled The Oldest Confession, after the 1958 novel by Richard Condon upon which it was based. The 23 Mar 1959 DV announced that Rita Hayworth planned to produce the screen adaptation through Hillworth Productions, her joint company with then husband, James Hill. Rex Harrison was cast opposite Hayworth in late 1960, and the 13 Feb 1961 DV reported that James Hill and screenwriter John Gay were en route to Madrid, Spain, to work on the script. Principal photography began in Madrid on 21 Feb 1961, according to the following day’s DV. However, production charts in the 27 Jan 1961 and 24 Feb 1961 DV listed 20 Feb 1961 as the start date.
       Hartford Productions was listed as the production entity in DV charts published during filming. Items in the 15 Feb 1961 and 5 May 1961 DV, and 9 Apr 1961 NYT, named Gilbert Kurland as production manager, Pedro Vidal as first assistant director for the Spanish crew, and Yasmin Khan as a cast member; the twelve-year-old Khan, who was Rita Hayworth’s daughter and James Hill’s stepdaughter, was said to be making her feature film debut.
       Shooting took place entirely in Spain. Exteriors were shot in Madrid, and at the Las Vinuelas Castle north of the city. Some filming was done at the Prado Museum (a.k.a. Museo del Prado), which had never before granted access to a motion picture filming crew, according to the 9 Apr 1961 NYT. Following exterior shooting, interiors were completed at the Sevilla Studios, with production scheduled to end sometime in mid-Apr 1961. An article in the 1 Mar 1961 Var claimed that local film crews in Spain now rivaled those in London, England, and other places in Europe. This production received aid from Jose Munoz Fontan, Spain’s cinematic Director General, who gave the filmmakers access to $10 million worth of well-known paintings. Also done locally in Spain was the film processing; instead of being shipped out to another European city, as was custom in the recent past, the film was sent for processing at Madrid’s Fotofilm plant.
       Theatrical release took place in Chicago, IL, on 18 Dec 1961. Openings followed in Smyrna, TN, on 29 Dec 1961, according to an advertisement in the 22 Dec 1961 [Smyrna, TN] The Carrier’s Courier; and on 10 Jan 1962 at various theaters in Los Angeles, CA. Critical reception was tepid.