A few months before the Broadway debut of Bill Manhoff’s two-character stage play, The Owl and the Pussycat, items in the 25 Sep 1964 DV and 29 Sep 1964 LAT reported that Seven Arts Productions had purchased the motion picture rights in association with Paramount Pictures for director Richard Quine. The show began its initial run at the ANTA Playhouse on 18 Nov 1964, and continued to enjoy success throughout the following year, with Alan Alda and Diana Sands in the leading roles. During this time, plans at Seven Arts were continually in flux, as the 31 Mar 1965 Var and 13 Jul 1965 DV noted the filmmakers’ indecision about whether to use big-name stars, or opt for lesser-known actors, such as Barbara Harris and Alan Arkin.
       On 6 Oct 1965, DV announced that Seven Arts would move forward without Paramount after deciding to dissolve its current associations with the major studios. Quine remained attached through the spring of 1966, when a 28 Mar 1966 Var news story confirmed that further development had been stalled while Seven Arts’ executive vice president Ray Stark continued to search for “the right deal.” The Owl and the Pussycat remained on the shelf for another two years, by which time Stark had relinquished his post at Seven Arts and founded Rastar Productions, Inc. to produce the motion picture adaptation of Funny Girl (1968, see entry) for Columbia Pictures. The Rastar-Columbia partnership continued, as the 25 Nov 1968 NYT announced that Funny Girl star Barbra Streisand would appear in The Owl and the Pussycat. Although Columbia briefly considered capitalizing on her popularity as a performer by having her contribute to the soundtrack, the film marked Streisand’s first non-singing role. Bruce Jay Friedman was in talks to write the screenplay, which would expand the cast and shift the setting from San Francisco, CA, to New York City.
       Shortly after the New Year, the 15 Jan 1969 Var named Herbert Ross as director, marking a reunion with Stark and Streisand after working on the musical sequences in Funny Girl. George Segal signed on in mid-summer, and a 10 Sep 1969 LAT article revealed that screenwriter Buck Henry had been hired to rewrite Freidman’s first draft. Only Henry receives credit on the final film. Stark reportedly offered an acting role to author Leonard Gardner, whose 1969 novel Fat City he was adapting for Rastar.
       According to a 7 Nov 1969 DV production chart, principal photography began 3 Nov 1969 in New York City. The 8 Jan 1970 issue indicated that production was nearing completion and was due to come in under schedule. However, a 4 Mar 1970 DV brief suggested that the final scene, set in Central Park, was recently re-shot to add “a touch of spring.” Director of photography Harry Stradling died during the interim on 14 Feb 1970, and he was replaced by Andrew Laszlo.
       A 2 Nov 1970 LAT news story reported that Columbia hosted a special “sneak preview” screening on 29 Oct 1970 for both press and paying audience members at the Crest Theatre in Westwood, CA. The picture opened in New York City on 3 Nov 1970 at the Loew’s State 2 and Loew’s Ciné theaters, where, according to a 5 Nov 1970 DV item, it earned a combined first-day gross of $17,071. Regular West Coast screenings continued at the Crest starting 11 Nov 1970.
       Although the film was generally not well received by critics, Streisand’s performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Actress in a Leading Role – Musical or Comedy.
       Evelyn Lang was a pseudonym for future X-rated actress Marilyn Chambers.