Although a 1 Apr 1960 NYT news item announced that Saint Subber first acquired rights to Poyntz Tyler’s upcoming novel A Garden of Cucumbers for the legitimate stage, the 3 Nov 1960 DV indicated that the property was being sought by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. for a motion picture adaptation under producer Robert Jacks and director Frank Tashlin. The following spring, A Garden of Cucumbers was picked up by the Mirisch Corp. for just over $50,000, according to the 16 May 1961 DV. United Artists was set to distribute.
       Items in the 19 May 1961 and 25 Jul 1961 DV stated that the leading role was initially offered to Cary Grant and Alec Guinness, while Ronald Neame was in negotiations to direct. However, the project remained untouched for another four years until the 16 Jun 1965 Var reported that production was finally due to begin. Eight days later, the Los Angeles Sentinel announced the casting of Dick Van Dyke as part of a new four-picture deal between the Mirisch Corp. and Dramatic Features, for whom he was under contract. Director Delbert Mann joined the production in the summer of 1966.
       Principal photography took place at the Samuel Goldwyn Studios in Los Angeles, CA, although multiple DV items provided conflicting information about whether filming began 10 or 11 Oct 1966. According to the 18 Nov 1966 DV, the schedule was rearranged when CBS Television selected Stephen Strimpell’s television series Mr. Terrific (CBS Television, 9 Jan—28 Aug 1967) as a mid-season pickup, allowing Strimpell to condense his five-week shoot into just one and a half working days.
       The 7 Mar 1966 DV stated that Dick Shawn was considering a role in the picture, but his participation in the final film could not be confirmed. Additional casting announcements included Sid Kane, Sally Frei, Rachel Rosenthal, and Janell Alden among the cast, while the 23 Nov 1966 LAT claimed that ten-year-old Joel Davison appeared as a Boy Scout.
       On 1 Mar 1967, Var reported that the title had been changed to What Next, Fitzwilly! although this was later shortened to Fitzwilly prior to release.
       According to the 29 Nov 1967 Var, the world premiere was scheduled for 3 Dec 1967 at Gimbels department store in New York City. East Coast screenings began 20 Dec 1967 at the Astor and other metropolitan theaters, while the Los Angeles area engagement launched on Christmas Day.
       Fitzwilly marked the first credited feature film performance of Barbara Feldon, known to audiences for her role on Get Smart (NBC and CBS, 18 Sep 1965—15 May 1970). Modern sources indicated that Feldon appeared in both Caprice and Point Blank (1967, see entries), but did not receive onscreen credit.