A 30 Nov 1971 HR news item announced that Radnitz/Mattel Productions, Inc. had purchased the rights to Vera and Bill Cleaver’s Where the Lilies Bloom, and 1970 Newberry Award runner-up, Earl Hamner Jr., was hired to write the screen adaptation. As noted in publicity materials from AMPAS library files, Hamner was a native of the Appalachians like the Cleavers and had previously adapted his own 1961 novel, Spencer’s Mountain, into both a picture of the same name (1963, see entry) and the popular television series, The Waltons. Producer Robert B. Radnitz had formerly worked independently to develop children’s novels into feature films, but Where the Lilies Bloom was only the second film generated through his collaboration with the toy company Mattel Inc., Radnitz/Mattel Productions. The studio’s first release, Sounder (1972, see entry), achieved box-office success and four Academy Award nominations. The Radnitz/Mattel merger formed in 1970, according to a 26 Jan 1983 Var report that announced Radnitz’s $10 million lawsuit against Mattel. Although Radnitz served as the Radnitz/Mattel’s president and chief executive officer, Mattel obtained his entire stock in the business in 1974. At the time, Radnitz and Mattel negotiated an agreement stipulating that the rights to their feature film productions, including Where the Lilies Bloom, could only be purchased for cash in the event of a buy out. When Mattel allegedly attempted to “barter” Radnitz/Mattel’s productions to the Rainbow Group and its associate, Deerfield Communications Corp., in 1983, Radnitz sought legal protection against the deal, claiming the 1974 agreement would be violated. According to Var, Radnitz had previously offered to buy the properties, himself, with financing from Jeffrey Alan Associates of New York, for a price that exceeded the “aggregate barter credits” by $100,000, but he was unable to settle an arrangement with Mattel and, in turn, sued the company for damages and contract violations. Radnitz also demanded $10 million from the Rainbow Group and Deerfield.
       The opening credits state that the film was “based on the Newberry Award winning honor book by Vera and Bill Cleaver,” but Children’s Books and Their Creators, a 1995 publication edited by Anita Silvey, noted that Where the Lilies Bloom was not awarded a Newberry despite its popularity and its caliber.
       According to publicity materials, thirteen-year-old actress Julie Gholson was cast in the role of “Mary Call” after a nationwide search; of the 631 girls interviewed, Gholson was the 631st. A 19 May 1972 DV news item announced Gholson’s casting and reported that the unknown actress was discovered during auditions at the University of Alabama. Twenty casting calls were held throughout the Southern U.S. Harry Dean Stanton, who was one of the few professional actors in the film, was born just fifty miles from the novel’s Appalachian setting. The film marked musician Earl Scruggs’s first credit as a motion picture composer, according to a 28 Mar 1973 DV report that announced his appointment.
       A 4 May 1972 HR news item stated that principal photography was scheduled to begin 15 May 1972 in Boone, NC, and its surrounding locales. On 23 Jun 1972, HR reported that Hurricane Agnes passed over the set in Boone and noted that Hurricane Edith swept the Baton Rogue, LA, location of Radnitz/Mattel’s Sounder a year earlier, halting production for several days. However, the shooting schedule for Where the Lilies Bloom coincidentally called for rain on the day of the hurricane and filming only benefited from the storm.
       On 18 Jul 1973, Var announced that United Artists Corp. had negotiated to distribute the film in order to shore up its slate of “family-oriented” films, but added that the picture was “fully bankrolled” by Radnitz/Mattel.
       After receiving generally positive reviews, the film fared well at theaters. An undated 1974 advertisement highlighted the picture’s box office grosses at its first two engagements in Dallas, TX, and Cincinnati, OH, and reported record earnings for the theaters. Within one week of the film’s opening a 500 seat theater in Dallas grossed $12,398 while a 400 seat venue in Cincinnati made $19,543. The advertisement stated that the picture would be released for “Easter playdates” in fifteen cities nationwide with Radnitz and “the three young stars” making personal appearances; however, Easter 1974 landed on 14 Apr, the day before Federal Income Tax filings are due, and the film did not open in Los Angeles, CA, until 24 Apr 1974. Release dates in other cities, including New York City, followed.
       Morality in Media, a team of leaders from political, educational, religious and business associations nationwide, named Where the Lilies Bloom “the film for 1974,” according to a 2 Jan 1974 HR announcement. On 10 Jun 1974, the film was honored with Box’s Blue Ribbon Award for “the best picture of the month for the whole family” for Apr 1974.

      The film ends with the following written statement: "Where the Lilies Bloom was filmed in its entirety on location in and around Watauga County, North Carolina. We wish to thank the teachers and children of the Elk Park School, the staff of Blowing Rock Hospital, State Forester Crayle Teague, and all the other people of the area who were so helpful.” Voice-over narration by the character “Mary Call” is featured throughout the story.