Little Laura and Big John

Plans to make the film were announced in 1968 by Luke Moberly, who owned a studio near Fort Lauderdale.[8]

Moberly later wrote "twenty-eight features came and went from my place and hundreds of commercials before I realized I had nothing more to show for it than a lot of deferments owed me, and buildings full of equipment. All the little ones I helped went out of business and the ones who made it left and forgot me. I was deciding whether to sell out at offers around a half-million and forget the business or make films myself and try for broke.[9]

He read a story of the history of Florida by Philip Weidling and became interested with the bank robber, John Ashley. He asked Weidling to write the true story of Ashley for him. "I wrote a screenplay from it and scouted locations that were factual and even built eleven sets for it before I had any money to make it", he said.[9]

Moberley met a former theatre owner named Louis Wiethe who was interested in investing himself and raising the balance to shoot it. They produced the film together and Moberley directed.[10]

Wiethe and Moberley went to California to cast the leads. "We had some beautiful offers from name actors, but the only one I regret not using was Burt Reynolds", said Moberley. "He would have made a beautiful John Ashley, plus the fact that I would have had the two hottest young stars in the country in my very first feature."[9]

Moberley said he became interested in Karen Black after seeing her photo. She "had never played a lead role, but I thought she looked like what I needed. I read a few pages of the script with her and said, "That's all I need to hear, you've got the part."[9]

By February 1969 it was announced that Fabian and Karen Black were to play the leads.[11]

Filming began 10 March 1969 on location in Stuart, Florida, in and around Martin County, and at Moberly Film Studios in Fort Lauderdale.[2]

Moberley recalls "Most of the people working with me wondered where I got that kookie little hippie girl, but by the end of the first day's shooting, I was convinced she would be my film and outshine everyone else. Most everyone was mad at me for changing the script every day and the feeling got to be that I was in total confusion and didn't know what I was doing. I guess that happens to most all new film directors. Before the film was over, they all began to realize Karen was stealing the scenes. "[9]

Additional footage was later shot, including filming a nude scene at the public beach at the House of Refuge in Martin County.[2]