'Evening Primrose' was filmed and originally broadcast in color, but the color master has since been lost.
The movie was originally supposed to be filmed at Macy's Department Store in New York City. Rehearsals were held there and footage of star Anthony Perkins was shot outside of Macy's on September 25, 1966 (available as an extra on the Entertainment One DVD release), but ultimately permission to film in the store was denied. Production then moved to the (now defunct) Stern Brothers department store in Manhattan.
Charmian Carr left showbiz to raise a family after this film and later opened an interior design business. One of her early clients was Michael Jackson, who had such an affinity for the movie that he decided to furnish his bedroom in his first home with 17 lifelike mannequins, which he and Carr picked out together.
"Evening Primrose" was originally broadcast on the radio program "Escape" Nov. 5, 1947. Written by John Collier and staring Elliot Lewis, Paul Frees and Pat Lowerly.
Although the crew kept pestering him, composer Stephen Sondheim was blocked when it came to Ella's solo. He went home one night, revised a scripted monologue, set it to music and emerged with "I Remember" only one day before Carr laid down the vocal track for the studio recording (issued on CD decades later), though this tape ultimately went unused. Carr delivered a better rendition live on the set, so the live version was utilized in the broadcast.