The Unsinkable Molly Brown was based on the Broadway musical of the same name, a fictionalized account of the life of Colorado socialite Margaret Tobin Brown that ran 3 Nov 1960—10 Feb 1962 at the Winter Garden Theatre. A few months into its engagement, the 3 May 1961 and 31 May 1961 DV reported that actress Judy Garland and several major Hollywood studios such as Warner Bros. Pictures, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp., and Columbia Pictures were vying for film rights to the property, which were set at an asking price of $1 million. Around the same time, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) also expressed interest in Brown’s life story, as producer Joe Pasternak briefly considered developing a project based on a chapter in Gene Fowler’s 1933 book, Timberline, called “The Unsinkable Mrs. Brown.” Amid reports that that the similar titles had caused a holdup in the rival studios’ negotiations, MGM eventually withdrew their independent plans and entered into the competition for Meredith Willson and Richard Morris’s Broadway playbook. On 2 Mar 1962, DV announced that MGM had successfully secured the property for producer Lawrence Weingarten. An additional DV brief three days later indicated that Morris was in talks to adapt his work for the screen, but script duties were eventually assigned to Helen Deutsch.
       Although MGM initially intended the picture as a vehicle for Doris Day, the search for a leading lady continued for an additional year. The 3 Oct 1962 and 12 Oct 1962 issues of DV indicated that the studio spoke with Tammy Grimes, whose stage performance as the titular heroine won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. However, additional casting items throughout the fall of 1962 and spring of 1963 suggested that Shirley MacLaine was considered the frontrunner, with Carol Burnett, Shirley Jones, and Debbie Reynolds also “in talks” based on MacLaine’s availability. According to a 16 Mar 1961 DV item, Reynolds had been interested in playing the character since the touring stage production moved to Los Angeles, CA. Even though the 9 Mar 1964 LAT claimed that Richard Morris vehemently disapproved of her casting, Reynolds ultimately won the role, and the 18 Mar 1963 DV announced that production would be delayed until later that fall while MGM continued negotiations for a male co-star.
       Recording artist and actor Robert Goulet was the first choice to play Reynolds’s onscreen husband “Johnny Brown,” but the 13 Feb 1963 DV explained that the studio failed to reach an agreement with Goulet’s current contractors at Columbia Records over the rights to the soundtrack album. Various DV editions noted that Robert Culp, Clint Walker, and James Garner were contenders for the role before Harve Presnell was selected to reprise his stage role for his motion picture debut. In a 15 Jul 1963 DV article, Joel Grey claimed he was also approached to appear in the film.
       Principal photography began on location in Montrose, CO, on 4 Sep 1963, according to a DV article published the following day. Establishing a base camp in Montrose, the 125-person unit was scheduled to spend three weeks shooting around the Colorado Rocky Mountains in Telluride, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, and along the White River. On 30 Oct 1963, DV reported that production had temporarily stalled when Reynolds fell ill with the flu. Remaining work was completed on the MGM studio backlot in Culver City, CA. According to the 16 Dec 1963 DV, the “He’s My Friend” musical number (which Willson wrote specially for the film) required the entire cast and 110 background actors. Filming of the sequence wound on 13 Dec 1963, at which point the crew returned to work on the dramatic scenes, including the sinking of the RMS Titanic. A 10 Dec 1963 DV item estimated that production would be completed on Christmas Eve 1963.
       A 14 Jan 1964 DV article revealed that the Titanic sequence was partially created using footage borrowed from the 1953 Fox picture (see entry) and the 1958 British drama A Night to Remember, which was then colorized in post-production. Although several other sources listed a budget of $4.1 million, DV cited a final cost closer to $5.4 million, and attributed the expenses to the high production value of Reynolds’s costumes and the $500,000 collection of antique furniture borrowed from Warner Bros. prop houses, including a $250,000 piano that once belonged to businessman Harry Payne Whitney.
       The same item also claimed that Leo Shuken and Jack Hayes had been hired as two of the film’s four orchestrators under conductor Robert Armbruster, but Leo Arnaud and Jack Elliott are credited onscreen.
       The world premiere of took place 11 Jun 1964 at the Denham Theatre in Denver, CO, as reported by a 12 Jun 1964 DV news item. According to the 29 May 1964 LAT, Reynolds attended the gala and other events in Chicago, IL; Philadelphia, PA; and New York City dressed as her character and arrived in the 1911 Havers automobile used in the picture. The Los Angeles, CA, benefit premiere was held 25 Jun 1964 at the Egyptian Theatre, where the film began its exclusive engagement the next day, followed by a New York City opening at the Radio City Music Hall on 16 Jul 1964. The Unsinkable Molly Brown was a commercial success, as the 30 Sep 1964 Var claimed it was the first movie playing at the Music Hall to surpass $2 million, earning $2,001,566 in ten weeks of release. DV stated that rentals were nearing $12 million by 1 Sep 1965.
       Debbie Reynolds earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance in the title role, while the film garnered additional nominations for Art Direction (Color), Cinematography (Color), Costume Design (Color), Music (Scoring of Music—adaptation or treatment), and Sound. Harve Presnell received the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year - Actor. Reynolds was also nominated for Actress in a Leading Role – Musical or Comedy, and the film was nominated as Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.