According to the 17 May 1956 DV, the motion picture adaptation of Roy Chanslor’s novel, The Ballad of Cat Ballou, originated as a vehicle for Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster through Curtis’s company, Curtleigh Productions. By the following summer, however, the 31 Jul 1957 Var reported that the property was now being developed by Hecht-Hill-Lancaster (H-H-L) as part a newly updated contract with United Artists (UA). Although Chanslor was initially attached to adapt his work for the screen, the 6 Jun 1958 DV claimed William Bowers would write the script in London, England, while the H-H-L team began production of The Devil’s Disciple (1959, see entry). Nearly two years later, a 16 May 1960 DV item announced that Burt Kennedy had been hired as a new writer.
       Around this time, H-H-L dissolved, and The Ballad of Cat Ballou was sold to Columbia Pictures in 1962, as indicated in a 13 Sep 1963 DV brief. Harold Hecht remained onboard as the film’s producer through his own independent company, Harold Hecht Corp., and the 29 Jun 1964 DV reported that Elliot Silverstein had been selected to direct a screenplay by Walter Newman. One month later, the 24 Jul 1964 LAT announced that Frank R. Pierson was assigned to work on the script, which was completed by the end of the summer, as noted by the 3 Sep 1964 DV.
       Meanwhile, a 10 Jul 1964 LAT article reported the casting of Jane Fonda in the title role. The 13 Jul 1964 DV claimed Dick Van Dyke expressed interest in making a cameo appearance, but he was not involved in the final film.
       According to a 9 Oct 1964 DV production chart, principal photography began 28 Sep 1964 under the shortened title Cat Ballou. The 7 Oct 1964 Var suggested that Pierson continued to rewrite the script throughout the early days of filming. In addition to work at the Columbia studio in Hollywood, CA, items in the 13 Oct 1964 DV and 5 May 1965 Var indicated that filming took place at the Columbia Ranch in Burbank, CA, and on location in Canon City, CO.
       A 2 Feb 1965 LAT article reported that actor Jay C. Flippen had his right leg amputated due to gangrene, which developed as a result of circulatory failure that occurred during filming.
       Cat Ballou marked the final feature film of Nat King Cole, who died of lung cancer on 15 Feb 1965, shortly after completing work on the soundtrack album.
       The 5 May 1965 Var reported the world premiere was scheduled for 7 May 1965 in Denver, CO, to benefit the Larry Tajiri Memorial Foundation supporting local community theater. According to the 5 May 1965 Var, Tajiri, an accomplished newspaper columnist and entertainment contributor for The Denver Post, visited the set of Cat Ballou shortly before his death. In conjunction with the event, early engagements were launched in eleven cities across the Southeastern U.S., including Knoxville, TN. Due to positive audience reception, the 26 May 1965 Var reported that the one-week booking at Knoxville’s New Riviera Theatre had been extended. According to the 28 May 1965 LAT, the Los Angeles opening would take place 18 Jun 1964 at the Warner Beverly Theatre. After seven weeks, the 3 Aug 1965 LAT announced its move to the Pix Theater in Hollywood. The New York engagement began 24 Jun 1965 at the Victoria and Trans-Lux 52nd Street Theatres.
       The 29 Jul 1965 Los Angeles Sentinel reported that Cat Ballou was heavily featured at the Hollywood Pavilion of that year’s New York World’s Fair, and the 3 Jul 1965 LAT noted it was the only American film to be screened at the West Berlin Film Festival.
       A 7 Apr 1965 DV article claimed that Columbia had been considering using television laugh track machines for drive-in screenings of feature films, beginning with test engagements on Cat Ballou. The studio hoped to boost comedies’ appeal at drive-ins, which lacked the benefit of audience reactions that often contributed to films’ success in traditional theaters.
       Lee Marvin won an Academy Award for Best Actor, while the film received nominations for Film Editing, Music (Scoring of Music—adaptation or treatment), Music (Song), and Writing (Screenplay—based on material from another medium). AFI ranked Cat Ballou #50 on its list of 100 Years…100 Laughs, and #10 on its “Top 10 of 10” list of greatest Westerns.