head of production of Fox announced the film in January 1960 saying Rodgers and Hammerstein would write new songs for it. Charles Brackett was assigned the job of producing and Walter Lang would direct. It would be the third version of the film done by Fox. Adler said he hoped the film would be ready by Christmas and that it would not be a musical but "it will have plenty of songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein." Brackett called it "a beautiful property. It's a story about people with simple projects with which the audience can get really involved - the man who wants his boy to get a prize, the woman interested in her mincemeat, the girl who wants adventure and finds a fast young man at the fair." Production was delayed when Adler died in July 1960. Hammerstein died the following month, at which point Rodgers decided to write the lyrics himself. José Ferrer had just made Return to Peyton Place for Fox and was signed to direct. The female lead was given to Ann Margret, who was under contract to 20th Century Fox. They had loaned her to Paramount to make her first film, Pocketful of Miracles and this would be her second. Alice Faye came out of retirement to play the mother. She wanted Don Ameche to play her husband but the role went to Tom Ewell. Ann-Margret made the film under an old commitment to Fox. She was only paid $500 a week for three months. The film was shot in September and October 1961 at the Texas State Fair Grounds and at the Oklahoma City State Fair Grounds.
"Never Say No to a Man" - Lyrics and Music by Richard Rodgers
"It's a Grand Night For Singing"
"Willing and Eager" - Lyrics and Music by Richard Rodgers
"This Isn't Heaven" - Lyrics and Music by Richard Rodgers
"The Little Things In Texas" - Lyrics and Music by Richard Rodgers
"More Than Just a Friend" - Lyrics and Music by Richard Rodgers
"Isn't It Kind of Fun?"
A soundtrack lp album was released briefly on Dot Records, due to Pat Boone's exclusive contract with the label. It was never released on cd. Subsequently, a dual cd recording was released on an, obscure label, utilizing the tracks from both the 1945 version and the 1962 version. Certain vocals in this latter release were absent, due to utilizing orchestral tracks with missing over-dubbing of vocals.
Reception
Reviewing the film, Diabolique magazine later wrote:
It just doesn’t work. It’s not the material. Sure, it’s cheesy, but The Sound of Music was cheesy and that came along three years later. I feel the main problem is too many key people were miscast. Jose Ferrer was not the right director and most of the cast fall short of their 1945 counterparts. Tom Ewell seems too urban to play “paw” compared to Charles Winninger. Pamela Tiffin looks like an urban ditz rather than a sweet naive country girl like Jeanne Crain. Bobby Darin comes across as sleazy rather than sharp like Dana Andrews. Ann-Margret was always better as good girls who looked as though they wanted to be naughty rather than straight-out naughty girls. Alice Faye looks like Alice Faye coming out of retirement whereas Fay Bainter felt like a character. The one exception is Pat Boone who is far better than Dick Haymes, but he can't save things.
