Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg’s satirical novel Candy was originally published by Olympia Press in Paris, France, in 1958. At the time, Southern and Hoffenberg used the single pseudonym, “Maxwell Kenton.” American publishers had rejected the book due to its pornographic material. However, after Candy gained popularity overseas, Putnam decided to publish it in 1964, and Southern and Hoffenberg used their own names for the U.S. printing. According to a 27 Dec 1967 NYT interview with Southern, he wrote an early screenplay adaptation that was picked up by United Artists (UA), but dropped by the studio when the novel “became involved in a court battle.”
       French actor Christian Marquand became involved when Hollywood producer Darryl Zanuck recommended the book to him, as stated in an 8 Feb 1968 DV article. Although Zanuck did not believe a film adaptation would be possible, Marquand pursued the project as his feature film directorial debut beginning in 1965, the 24 Jan 1968 Var reported. Major studios rejected Candy, but Marquand was able to persuade his friend, the much sought-after American actor Marlon Brando, to star. Brando lured in Richard Burton, and with both actors attached, Marquand obtained financing from ABC-TV subsidiary Selmur Pictures, Inc., headed by executive producer Selig J. Seligman. Robert Haggiag, who ran the Italian distributor Dear Film, became involved as a producer, and brought in French co-producer In Productions. Domestic and worldwide distribution rights were later acquired by Cinerama Releasing Corp., as announced in the 16 Sep 1968 DV.
       Southern agreed to work with Marquand on what was initially a low-budget project. He wrote multiple drafts, but as the budget grew to over $3 million and more A-list celebrities were added to the cast – including James Coburn, Walter Matthau, and Sugar Ray Robinson – Southern was asked to make the film more palatable to mainstream audiences. The 27 Dec 1967 LAT stated that he finally balked when producers asked him to remove a hunchback character, then rejected his idea of substituting a little person. Southern was “paid off” and replaced by Buck Henry, whose final screenplay deviated greatly from the novel but did retain the hunchback character. Among the discrepancies between the novel and Henry’s screenplay were the addition of Walter Matthau’s character, “General Smight,” and “Emmanuel’s” sisters, “Lolita,” “Conchita,” and “Marquita,” as noted in an 11 Feb 1968 NYT article. Henry continued writing as filming was underway, adding characters when new actors were cast, and withholding the ending from both actors and Marquand.
       The 3 Oct 1967 LAT announced the “provisional” casting of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. An item in the 15 Nov 1967 Var noted that filmmakers were eyeing Jane Fonda, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Marcello Mastroianni, and Anna Magnani for roles. The last-minute casting of seventeen-year-old Ewa Aulin, who had won Miss Teen International of 1966, was confirmed in the 6 Dec 1967 Var. Aulin was chosen to play “Candy” from an estimated 2,000 candidates, 100 of whom were screen-tested, according to the 31 Mar 1968 LAT. In an interview published in the 5 Jan 1969 NYT, Aulin commented that she had no time to read Southern’s book between winning the role and the start of production two days later. She was reportedly paid a salary of less than $20,000, the 29 Jul 1968 DV noted.
       A 15 Dec 1967 DV production chart stated that principal photography began on 27 Nov 1967 in Rome at Dear Film Centre studios, where the production utilized all five soundstages, according to the 24 Jan 1968 Var. Three weeks of shooting in the U.S. was set to take place in New York City and San Francisco, CA, in Feb 1968, as stated in the 24 Jan 1968 Var. Final scenes were to be shot in Mar 1968 back in Rome, with principal photography scheduled to wind the following month. Re-shoots occurred in Los Angeles, CA, in late Sep or early Oct 1968, according to items in the 17 and 27 Sep 1968 DV.
       The film opened to tepid reviews on 17 Dec 1968 in New York City, and in Los Angeles three days later. Both the 17 Dec 1968 DV and 21 Dec 1968 LAT referred to Douglas Trumbull’s opening and closing special effects sequences, which were said to frame the narrative as a flashback viewed from outer space “or someplace else altogether,” as stated in LAT. Despite negative critical reception, Candy fared well at the box-office, according to a 20 Aug 1969 Var brief, and was credited as one of four pictures that boosted Cinerama to record earnings in 1969.
       Two days after the New York opening, a 19 Dec 1968 DV item reported that Cinerama had sought and won a temporary injunction against Cinex Film Industries’ Candy Baby (1969, see entry), which had been in release for roughly two months in cities including Boston, MA, Syracuse, NY, and Omaha, NE, sometimes under the title Candy. Cinerama argued that Cinex was taking advantage of its costly promotional campaign and misleading moviegoers by using the same title.
       In Aug 1970, the picture opened in Paris, France, with a shorter running time of 110 minutes. In Italy, it was screened under the title Candy e il sul pazzo mondo.