Opening credits note: “The Company dedicates this picture to Dorothy Stratten.”
       End credits include the following statements: “Particular Thanks to: George and Ira Gershwin, The New York City Mayor’s Office for Motion Pictures and Television, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Sikorsky Aircraft, Dav-El Limousines” and “We thank the people of Manhattan, on whose island this picture was filmed.”
       The 7 Dec 1979 DV announced that Peter Bogdanovich would write, produce and direct They All Laughed for Time-Life Films, and the film would be released domestically by 20th Century-Fox, which had a three year deal with Time-Life for domestic theatrical distribution. Time-Life financed the $7.5 million film on its own and retained all other rights. Reportedly, the company had not set up “network prelicensing or other deals,” speculating that the film would be successful at the box-office and Time-Life could negotiate higher prices. David Susskind was to executive produce the film, however, as noted in an article in the 4 Nov 1981 Var, Bogdanovich and Susskind had a “falling out” and Bogdanovich “inherited” the film from Susskind, who did not receive onscreen credit.
       A 4 Apr 1980 HR brief stated that principal photography began 31 Mar 1980 in New York City. According to the 13 Dec 1981 LAT, Bogdanovich and actress Dorothy Stratten, a former Playboy Playmate of the Year, fell in love during filming and planned to marry. However, on 14 Aug 1980, after the completion of principal photography, Stratten was murdered by her estranged husband, Paul Snider, who then committed suicide.
After completion of principal photography on the film, Time-Life Films shut down, citing that the company’s first two films, 1980’s Loving Couples and 1981’s Fort Apache, The Bronx (see entries), “failed to perform well enough.” The 24 Aug 1981 LAHExam reported that They All Laughed sat on the shelf at 20th Century-Fox for more than a year, before the distributor test-marketed the film. As noted in the 4 Nov 1981 Var, the test screenings were in Phoenix, AZ, Providence, RI, and Minneapolis, MN, in Aug 1981. Bogdanovich claimed the film received “good word-of-mouth and steady grosses for four weeks.” However, 20th Century-Fox felt the test screenings were “not encouraging,” and pulled the film from distribution. An item in the 1 Sep 1981 HR announced They All Laughed would be the opening night presentation at the Venice International Film Festival, screening out of competition on 2 Sep 1981. The 23 Sep 1981 DV noted the film was well received at the Venice and Deauville film festivals, and a release of the film might be imminent.
       As tracked in articles in the 2 Oct 1981 DV, 4 Nov 1981 Var, the 13 Dec 1981 LAT, the 27 May 1982 DV, the 28 Oct 1982 DV, and the 19 Dec 1985 LAT, Bogdanovich was unhappy with 20th Century-Fox’s distribution plans. Feeling the film would not get the attention it deserved, Bogdanovich decided to purchase domestic distribution rights. Time-Life reimbursed 20th Century-Fox for the test screening costs, reportedly between $350,000-$500,000. Bogdanovich formed the production-distribution company Moon Pictures, and then partnered with the film’s foreign distributor, Producers Sales Organization (PSO), to make a deal with Time-Life for domestic distribution. Bogdanovich guaranteed to repay Time-Life’s $8.6 million financing. The company would continue to retain participation in the film after full reimbursement, and the Time-Life logo would appear on the film prints. A benefit for a country & western music foundation in Nashville, TN, was planned for 18 Nov 1981, followed by the film’s release at Nashville’s Melrose Theatre. On 20 Nov 1981, it would be released in New York City at the Cinema Studio 1 and the Lincoln Plaza 1, at two theaters in Kansas City, MO, and single theaters in Scottsdale, AZ, and Portland, OR. Openings in Seattle, WA, and Vancouver, BC, on 11 Dec 1981 would be followed by the 18 Dec 1981 Los Angeles, CA, release at the Beverly Hills Music Hall. Bogdanovich hoped for a wide release in Jan 1982, but other Christmas releases “precluded long holdovers and new engagements.”
       The 12 Jan 1982 LAT reported that Bogdanovich made a deal with the Z Channel to air two telecasts of They All Laughed during the channel’s screenings of recent films hoping for Academy Award nominations. However, Bogdanovich did not hold pay-TV rights to the film. Despite announcements in the TV Guide and TV Times and advertisements on the Z Channel, the airings were canceled by Time Inc., which planned to air it on their subsidiary, Home Box Office (HBO).
       According to the 27 May 1982 DV, Bogdanovich stated that it cost him $2.5 million to release the film domestically, however, he closed Moon Picture’s six-month old distribution arm, in part because it was difficult for an independent distributor to get paid by theaters in a timely manner. Bogdanovich also noted that a more expensive advertising campaign was necessary to lure audiences. He made a deal with UA Classics to handle advertising and domestic distribution of the film. Tele-pictures Inc. had nontheatrical rights, HBO had cable rights, and Bogdanovich planned to sell network television rights at a later date.
       The 28 Oct 1982 DV reported Time-Life filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Federal court against Moon Pictures, Bogdanovich and Copo De Oro Productions, “his long-standing firm.” The suit asked for at least $150,000, alleging Moon Pictures failed to make the “necessary” 30 Jun 1982 payment, even after being given an extension until 15 Sep 1982. The suit also requested a determination that Bogdanovich’s company had no further rights to act as the film’s domestic distributor. The outcome of the lawsuit is unknown as of Feb 2015.
       Items in the 5 Jun 1985 LAHExam and the 10 Jun 1985 People reported Bogdanovich was considering re-scoring and re-releasing the film. Bogdanovich hoped to add several Bruce Springsteen songs, but admitted he had not made a deal with Springsteen.
       The 19 Dec 1985 LAT reported Bogdanovich filed for Chapter 7 federal bankruptcy, and his business office stated the “attempt to market and distribute the film as a memorial to Dorothy Stratten” failed, leaving Bogdanovich more than $6.6 million in debt against assets of approximately $1.5 million. Bogdanovich invested nearly $5 million in the film, but the box-office gross was “well under” $1 million and he received less than half of that.
       They All Laughed marked the feature film debuts of actors Blaine Novak, Linda MacEwen and Sean Ferrer, who is the son of the film’s star Audrey Hepburn. The 20 Nov 1981 NYT review reported that actress Patti Hansen also made her feature film debut, but Hansen appeared in 1979’s Rich Kids (see entry).