Contemporary sources alternately referred to the title as Robin and the 7 Hoods and Robin and the Seven Hoods. According to an 18 Mar 1964 Var article, Gene Kelly and longtime collaborator Frank Sinatra developed Robin and the 7 Hoods as a response to the waning popularity of original screen musicals, which subsequently limited the number of good film roles available for Hollywood’s musical stars. A 15 Jan 1963 DV news item confirmed the change from its original working title, Robbo, and announced that Sinatra would be joined onscreen by many of his fellow “Rat Pack” members, including Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. , as well as Joey Bishop, who does not appear in the final film. Although not corroborated by contemporary documents, modern resources, including a 7 Jan 1996 NYT article and Michael Sheridan and David Harvey’s 2016 book, Sinatra and the Jack Pack: The Extraordinary Friendship between Frank Sinatra and John F. Kennedy—Why They Bonded and What Went Wrong, the role of “Allen A. Dale” had been intended for Rat Pack member Peter Lawford early in the development process. Bing Crosby stepped in as his replacement after Lawford and Sinatra’s relationship dissolved in Mar 1962 when their mutual friend (and Lawford’s brother-in-law), U.S. President John F. Kennedy, canceled plans to stay with Sinatra during a West Coast visit due to the actor’s known ties to organized criminals. While John Fenton Murray signed on to write the screenplay from a story treatment by Evelyn and Richard Condon, reviews at the time of the film’s release credited both script and story to David ...

Contemporary sources alternately referred to the title as Robin and the 7 Hoods and Robin and the Seven Hoods.

According to an 18 Mar 1964 Var article, Gene Kelly and longtime collaborator Frank Sinatra developed Robin and the 7 Hoods as a response to the waning popularity of original screen musicals, which subsequently limited the number of good film roles available for Hollywood’s musical stars. A 15 Jan 1963 DV news item confirmed the change from its original working title, Robbo, and announced that Sinatra would be joined onscreen by many of his fellow “Rat Pack” members, including Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr., as well as Joey Bishop, who does not appear in the final film. Although not corroborated by contemporary documents, modern resources, including a 7 Jan 1996 NYT article and Michael Sheridan and David Harvey’s 2016 book, Sinatra and the Jack Pack: The Extraordinary Friendship between Frank Sinatra and John F. Kennedy—Why They Bonded and What Went Wrong, the role of “Allen A. Dale” had been intended for Rat Pack member Peter Lawford early in the development process. Bing Crosby stepped in as his replacement after Lawford and Sinatra’s relationship dissolved in Mar 1962 when their mutual friend (and Lawford’s brother-in-law), U.S. President John F. Kennedy, canceled plans to stay with Sinatra during a West Coast visit due to the actor’s known ties to organized criminals.

While John Fenton Murray signed on to write the screenplay from a story treatment by Evelyn and Richard Condon, reviews at the time of the film’s release credited both script and story to David R. Schwartz. In a 2 Jun 1963 interview with the NYT, Kelly revealed he planned to produce through Sinatra’s Essex Productions, with a similar joint project, The New Yorkers, also on their schedule. Although production was initially scheduled to begin in late spring 1963, the 7 Mar 1963 DV reported that the start date had been pushed back several months to allow for additional pre-production time.

During this period, Sinatra and Martin opted to continue their deal with Warner Bros. Pictures after collaborating with the studio on 4 for Texas (1963, see entry). The 14 May 1963 DV noted that like 4 for Texas, Robin and the 7 Hoods would be a “joint venture” between Warner Bros., Martin’s Claude Productions, and Sinatra Enterprises. Gordon Douglas enlisted as director shortly thereafter, and on 13 Sep 1963, DV reported that Kelly had hired Jack Baker to begin choreography rehearsals as the film’s dance director. The 6 Jul 1963 LAT claimed that Sinatra was interested in casting Vince Edwards, while another LAT item published ten days later referred to the alleged attachment of Karl Malden. Neither appears in the final film. Film assignments in the 26 Sep 1963 DV named Saul Chaplin as an assistant producer.

As the start of filming approached, a 10 Oct 1963 DV news story revealed that Kelly had decided to leave the project over artistic differences between himself and Sinatra’s production team over casting, songs, and story treatment. The split was reportedly “amicable,” and Sinatra Enterprises continued with the schedule as planned.

Principal photography began 31 Oct 1963, as indicated in the next day’s DV production charts. Filming took place on the Warner Bros. studio backlot in Burbank, CA. Partway through shooting, Sinatra left for Reno, NV, when his son, Frank Sinatra, Jr., was kidnapped and held for ransom in Lake Tahoe, CA. Articles in the 11 Dec 1963 DV and 22 Dec 1963 NYT indicated that production continued in his absence until he returned on 12 Dec 1963. Photography was expected to conclude in late Dec 1963.

According to a 5 Nov 1963 DV item, the following former fighters, fight managers, and physical trainers were selected to portray gangsters: Mushy Callahan, Joe Glick, Sammy Shack, Jimmy Casino, Al Silvani, and Ralph Gambini. Casting announcements in the 18 Nov 1963 DV also noted the involvement of actors Myrna Ross and Mickey Finn, whose participation could not be confirmed. The DV production chart included Herman Blumenthal as one of the crew’s art directors, and according to his obituary in the 12 Mar 1964 DV, Harry Slott served as an assistant director on both 4 for Texas and Robin and the 7 Hoods just before his death.

On 4 Mar 1964, Var reported that Warner Bros. planned to hold test screenings in thirty-two key markets six days later. The picture first opened 24 Jun 1964 at the State-Lake Theatre in Chicago, IL, while a 20 May 1964 Var news item listed a wide national release date of 27 Jun 1964 at 1,361 first-run theaters. The Los Angeles, CA, engagement began 29 Jul 1964, followed by New York City screenings at the RKO Palace Theatre, RKO 58th St. Theatre, and multiple other venues on 5 Aug 1964.

Robin and the 7 Hoods was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Music (Scoring of Music—adaptation or treatment) and Music (Song) for “My Kind Of Town.”

A 6 Jan 1965 Var list of “Big Rental Pictures of 1964” reported domestic rentals of approximately $1 million to date.