Although a 4 Jun 1965 DV item reported that actor-filmmaker Tom Laughlin was interested in purchasing screen rights to Thomas Berger’s 1964 novel, Little Big Man, the property was picked up by producer-director Arthur Penn a few weeks later. The 14 Jul 1965 DV indicated that the deal originated at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), with an actor “like Steve McQueen” wanted for the leading role. On 27 Oct 1965, however, Var announced the joining of Penn with fellow producer Stuart Millar to form their own New York City-based company, Stockbridge Productions, where they could develop a screenplay. According to a 21 Dec 1969 NYT article, Penn and Millar returned to Calder Willingham’s script “off and on” over a period of several years before deciding to move ahead with production of Bonnie and Clyde (1967, see entry), starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. While a 10 Jan 1967 DV brief claimed the filmmakers considered working with Beatty again on Little Big Man, they ultimately reteamed with Dunaway, who filled the role of “Mrs. Pendrake.”
       The following year, items in the 17 Jun 1968 and 29 Jul 1968 DV reported that the production had secured financing from Cinema Center Films (CCF), with Dustin Hoffman signed to play “Jack Crabb.” According to news stories in the 22 Jan 1969 Var and 21 Feb 1969 NYT, Hoffman was able to accept the role after exercising an “out clause” in the contract for his current Broadway show, Jimmy Shine, which closed with his departure. A 10 Apr 1969 DV casting announcement named Richard Boone for one of the principal roles, but he did not remain with the production. Additional briefs in the 6 Aug 1969 and 21 Oct 1969 editions reported the casting of singer Al Jones and Lenny Rogel, while the 28 Jul 1969 DV claimed Hoffman shot a scene with Shelley Prime, whose participation could not be confirmed.
       According to the 27 Aug 1969 Var, the seventy-day production schedule began 14 Jul 1969, with the 26 Nov 1969 Var reporting a budget just over $7 million. The crew shot on locations in and around Billings, MT, and employed several members of the Crow Nation while working on their reservation. A 1 Oct 1969 NYT article detailed the experience of thirty-five-year-old Pie Glenn, who intended to appear as a background actor but was promoted to a supporting speaking role for $125 a day. An obituary published in the 16 Sep 1969 DV revealed that actor James Anderson died unexpectedly two days earlier. Although still in Billings at the time, he had already completed his work on the film, which marked his last onscreen appearance.
       Once photography was completed in Montana, the unit was scheduled to move north to the Canadian province of Alberta to shoot twelve days of wintertime sequences near Calgary. However, the 6 Jan 1970 DV reported that the area had experienced an unseasonable lack of snow, forcing the production to break in early Dec 1969. Filming resumed by mid-Jan 1970, when the 16 Jan 1970 and 19 Jan 1970 DV revealed that, in addition to snowfall, the crew now faced extreme, sub-zero temperatures. CCF president Gordon Stulberg ran a two-page advertisement in the 29 Jan 1970 DV, describing the many difficulties experienced in the cold, including damage to technical equipment, and thanked the 122 members of the cast and crew for staying on schedule. Scenes in Calgary wrapped on 24 Jan 1970, leaving just two days’ work to be completed at the CBS Studio Center facilities in Studio City, CA. According to a 3 Feb 1971 Var article, Penn spent ten months in editing and post-production.
       Once the picture was ready for release, 2 Dec 1970 DV news item announced two upcoming benefit premieres: 14 Dec 1970 at the Sutton Theatre in New York City, and 22 Dec 1970 at the Hollywood Pacific Theatre in Los Angeles. Proceeds for the East Coast event helped sponsor the Martin Luther King, Jr. scholarship at the Manhattan Country School, while Los Angeles funds aided the Women’s Guild at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Regular screenings continued at the Sutton and Paramount theaters in New York City on 15 Dec 1970, and 23 Dec 1970 in Los Angeles—the day after each city’s respective premieres.
       Little Big Man performed well at the box-office, as the 30 Aug 1971 DV reported earnings exceeding $12 million from more than 3,200 playdates in the U.S. and Canada. CCF executive Milton Goldstein projected that the company would continue to run bookings in major cities across the U.S. and around the world “well into 1972.”
       Chief Dan George’s performance as “Old Lodge Skins” earned him supporting actor awards from the New York Film Critics and the National Society of Film Critics, as well as Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. His Academy Award nomination for Actor in a Supporting Role made him the first Native American to ever be honored by AMPAS.
       Onscreen credits acknowledge the cooperation of the Crow Nation, Cheyenne Nation, and Stoney Indians (Chippewa Nation).
       Official U.S. Copyright records list a running time of 147 minutes.