The film concludes with an epilogue depicting “Nicole ‘Niki’ Dreyfus” dancing and embracing her mother, superimposed with a letter written from “Patrick Dalton” to “Charlotte Dreyfus”: “To: Charlotte Dreyfus, 12 Rue Desmeuzes, Limoges, France. From: Patrick Dalton, State House, Sacramento, Calif., U.S.A. Message: Surprised the political experts and won. They didn’t know I had a guardian angel watching over me. Family is fine. Hope you’ll write your local congressman. He’d love to hear from you. Love always, Patrick.”
       End credits state: “Excerpts from The Tonight Show courtesy of Carson Productions, Inc.” In addition, “The producers wish to express their gratitude to Merle Norman Cosmetics with special thanks to Jacques d’Amboise & Shannon Campbell.”
       Onscreen credits misspell assistant choreographer Anne Ditchburn’s name as “Ann Ditchburn.”
       On 19 Sep 1976, DV announced that production of Six Weeks was originally scheduled to begin that month with producer Peter Guber and Columbia Pictures. An 8 Dec 1976 DV article reported the involvement of actress Tatum O’Neal as “Niki” and suggested that filmmakers sought high-profile stars for the lead roles, whose salaries would likely increase the estimated $5 million budget. According to the 13 Dec 1976 HR, production had been rescheduled for Mar 1977 in New York City, under Casablanca Filmworks, with Columbia serving as distributor for a planned Christmas 1977 release. Arthur Hiller was also named producer-director. The 19 Jan 1977 DV announced that Audrey Hepburn had been cast as “Charlotte Dreyfus,” and was scheduled to begin filming Apr 1977 in Los Angeles, CA. However, a 25 Apr 1977 DV brief indicated that production had most recently been moved to fall 1977, and faced further possible delays following the recent departure of O’Neal, Hepburn, and Hiller. The 30 Apr 1977 LAT explained that O’Neal was twelve years old when she was hired for the picture, but the sudden onset of puberty caused Guber and producer Stanley Jaffe, who is not credited onscreen, to alter the character’s age to fifteen or sixteen. Hiller and Hepburn objected to the change, however, and Hepburn left the project after Coumbia denied her request to approve any revisions made to the script. Because O’Neal was reported to have signed a “pay-or-play” contract guaranteeing her salary, producers were unwilling to re-cast the part. Meanwhile, Nick Nolte, who had been hired to portray “Patrick Dalton,” faced possible conflicts with the filming of the upcoming Dog Soldiers—which was later released as Who’ll Stop the Rain (1978, see entry)—if his early Sep 1977 schedule for Six Weeks was delayed.
       Two years later, the 24 Aug 1979 DV announced that previous plans to cast Jacqueline Bisset and Sylvester Stallone in the lead roles had fallen through. According to the 24 Mar 1980 New West, the production start date remained unclear, but was estimated to begin late 1980 or early 1981. By that time, however, the 27 Jan 1981 DV had only just announced the casting of Dudley Moore, and the 4 May 1981 DV advertised a casting call for the role of “Niki.”
       A 10 Sep 1981 HR news story reported that the film’s latest production company, PolyGram Pictures, decided to switch the delayed 1983 start date for Six Weeks with the immediate start of Dudley Moore’s other PolyGram project, Dangerously, which did not move ahead. The change was made so that the actor could film the Ladd Company’s Valium, later released as Lovesick (1983, see entry), beginning Feb 1982.
       Following the 6 Oct 1981 DV report that the project’s new director, Tony Bill, planned to begin filming in Los Angeles and New York City in mid-Nov 1981, the 8 Oct 1981 HR stated that an open casting call for “Niki” would be held at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (M-G-M) in Culver City, CA, on 10 Oct 1981. According to a 13 Oct 1981 DV brief, 2,500 girls between the ages of eleven and sixteen auditioned for the part, including Fernanda Gordon, the daughter of actress Rita Moreno. According to production notes, Katherine Healy had spent two years dancing the role of “Clara” in The Nutcracker for the New York City Ballet before making her motion picture debut in Six Weeks.
       9 Oct 1981 DV production charts listed Mary Tyler Moore in the cast as “Charlotte,” and stated that filming was scheduled to begin 16 Nov 1981 in Los Angeles and New York City. An Apr 1982 Ballet News story stated that the actress had previously studied ballet, and would perform her own dancing onscreen. Although a 14 Oct 1981 Var advertisement announced that filming was set to start the following day, production notes confirmed that principal photography began 16 Nov 1981. Two days later, the 18 Nov 1981 Var claimed that Elizabeth McGovern had joined the cast, although she is not credited onscreen.
       During filming, a 3 Jan 1982 NYT article reported that the script had been “completely rewritten” after Bill was hired as director, and the budget was increased to $9 million. In addition to New York City’s John F. Kennedy Airport, production notes indicated that filming also took place at the Lincoln Center and St. Regis Hotel, the latter of which was used for exterior and lobby scenes in the picture’s hotel sequences. Interiors were shot at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. The “Dreyfus Cosmetics” factory was comprised of five separate buildings in Southern CA and downtown Los Angeles, including the Norman Cosmetic plant in Inglewood, CA. Additional Los Angeles filming took place at the Oviatt Building, Mandeville Canyon, and two private homes in the Los Feliz neighborhood. Production then spent one day filming a Ballet West production of The Nutcracker at the Terrace Theater in Long Beach, CA, before the company continued their tour. These scenes, as well as the Oviatt Building rooftop scenes, were shot using a Louma crane, which allowed for increased aerial camera mobility. The NYT article estimated that the revised forty-five day production schedule was expected to be completed by 19 Jan 1982 in order to accommodate for Dudley Moore and Mary Tyler Moore’s commitments to other upcoming projects. However, production notes indicated that principal photography concluded one week behind schedule, on 26 Jan 1982.
       Following production, the 27 Jan 1982 DV reported that a scene featuring Dudley Moore playing the piano had been removed from the film. In addition, Universal Studios, now serving as distributor, had agreed to pay the actor $1.3 million, plus a percentage of the box-office gross.
       According to the 28 Nov 1982 LAT, two simultaneous premieres benefitting the American Diabetes Association were scheduled for 6 Dec 1982, at the Plitt Theater in Century City, CA, and the Edwards Newport Center in Newport Beach, CA. A 24 Nov 1982 DV news item announced that the New York City premiere was expected to take place on 15 Dec 1982, and would be sponsored by six charitable New York City youth organizations under the Get High On Yourself Foundation.
       Despite its lengthy and complicated production history, Six Weeks opened 17 Dec 1982 to largely negative reviews.