Referring to the film as Kisses At 50, the 1 Mar 1984 DV announced that Bud Yorkin would be producing and directing the forthcoming picture for ITC Productions. However, the 5 Jun 1984 DV reported that the $8 million budget would be financed independently by Bud Yorkin.
       According to the 13 Jul 1984 DV production chart, principal photography was set to begin on 19 Jul 1984 in Seattle, WA. However, production notes in AMPAS library files report that production began on 15 Jul 1984 and was completed on 13 Sep 1984. Locations included downtown Seattle and the suburbs of Ballard and Snohomish, WA, where filmmakers were granted permission to shoot at Jorgensen Steel and Chuckanut Charlie’s bar, which stood in for “The Shamrock” bar onscreen.
       The 15 Sep 1985 LAT reported that actress Ellen Burstyn actually got her ears pierced on camera for the role of “Kate.” The scene showcasing “Kate’s” independence was Burstyn’s idea.
       Colin Welland’s story was previously filmed as an hour-long British television show, as noted in the 27 Jul 1984 DV. When the theatrical project went into turnaround at the Ladd Company, Bud Yorkin purchased film rights. After a script rewrite, Yorkin secured the $8 million production budget from private investors. DV announced plans for the filmmakers to release the picture in late 1984 in order to be eligible for Oscar consideration.
       According to the 16 Aug 1984 DV, ITC Entertainment was suing Bud Yorkin. The project originally belonged to The Ladd Company, where Yorkin reportedly offered his services as producer or director, but Ladd later dropped the project. Kisses At Fifty was then transferred to ITC, who hired Yorkin as producer-director. Yorkin asked to purchase film rights from ITC to produce the feature independently, and ITC drafted a sales agreement on 7 May 1984, which, according to the suit, Yorkin had failed to sign.
       The 8 May 1985 DV announced that the film, now titled Twice In a Lifetime, would hold its world premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival on 9 May 1985.
       The 12 Jul 1985 NYT reported Bud Yorkin’s plans to distribute the picture himself, with consulting help from Norman Levy, former vice chairman at Twentieth Century Fox. Yorkin reported that he turned down offers from studios to distribute the film because he wanted to “nurture” his project. NYT announced the picture would be released in late Oct 1985 at the Beekman theater in New York City, and in Los Angeles and several other cities a few days later.
       According to the 18 Sep 1985 Var review, Twice In a Lifetime screened at the Toronto Festival of Festivals on 9 Sep 1985.
       A benefit premiere was held in Seattle, WA, on 28 Oct 1985 for the Washington State Film Council, as reported in the 14 Nov 1985 HR, which noted that filmmakers brought in $5.5 million to the local economy during production.
       The 6 Nov 1985 DV announced that Yorkin was revising his release strategy to open on Christmas day in several cities, following solid box-office returns from its initial release, which totaled $450,000, according to the 20 Nov 1985 HR. The picture would expand to 100 to 150 screens on 25 Dec 1985. The 5 Dec 1985 LAHExam reported $600,000 in receipts after six-weeks in four theaters, and noted that Yorkin spent $3 million in advertising costs in preparation for wide release on 200 screens.
       The 13 Jan 1986 DV reported that AMPAS reclassified Colin Welland’s screenplay from “original” to “adapted” for Academy Award consideration after reviewing the version of Welland’s BBC-TV release from 1973. AMPAS found too many common elements for the theatrical rewrite to be considered “original.” However, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) maintained their categorization as “original screenplay,” supporting Welland’s argument that although there were similarities to the BBC version, the theatrical release was “not based on that work.”
       According to the 8 Sep 1989 HR, Bud Yorkin filed a $3 million lawsuit against ITC Entertainment claiming ITC “failed to properly market television rights” for Twice In a Lifetime. Yorkin claimed that ITC was packaging his film with other “inferior products.” In a landmark ruling, the jury found ITC Entertainment to be in violation of antitrust laws by packaging Yorkin’s film with fifteen other pictures for syndication, according to the 22 Oct 1992 DV. Antitrust laws maintained that television stations be allowed to purchase individual films from distributors. ITC was found guilty of “block-booking,” and the jury awarded Bud Yorkin $2.45 million. ITC was appealing the decision.
       End credits include the following acknowledgments: “Special Thanks to the kind people of Seattle and its surrounding areas, without whose support and cooperation this film would not have been possible.”