The original screenplay was written by Colin Higgins while he was still a student at UCLA. It began as a thesis project, a class assignment that transformed into a cultural time bomb. Higgins pitched the story to producers with a tone both sincere and darkly comedic, and it caught the attention of producer Edward Lewis, who brought it to Hal Ashby. Ashby, having just directed “The Landlord”, saw something radical and human in the material. He agreed to direct, but the production faced obstacles from the start. Studio executives were hesitant, particularly about the romantic elements between Harold and Maude. At one point, executives pressured Ashby to tone down the intimacy, but he refused, believing the emotional honesty of the story depended on its full expression.

Bud Cort, who played Harold, took the role with a level of commitment that bordered on the obsessive. Cort studied the philosophy of death, practiced fake suicides, and isolated himself emotionally to understand Harold’s mindset. During production, he even moved out of his apartment and stayed in a hotel to keep himself detached from reality. His performance emotionally distant, often awkward, yet tinged with silent desperation became a defining piece of the film’s identity.

Ruth Gordon, already an established actress by the time she took the role of Maude, brought with her a chaotic brilliance that energized every frame. Her Maude was free-spirited, radical, and full of contradictions. She drove stolen cars, planted trees in public spaces, and played the banjo like a woman half her age. One of the most iconic scenes Maude and Harold stealing a priest’s tree and replanting it in a forest was improvised on location without permits. The crew had to work quickly and quietly to avoid being shut down by city officials.

Ashby’s use of Cat Stevens’ music in the film was another unconventional decision. Instead of using a traditional score, he asked Stevens to contribute songs that would reflect Harold’s transformation. Tracks like “If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out” and “Don’t Be Shy” didn’t just underline the emotions they became extensions of the characters themselves. Stevens was not originally signed on for the project, but after reading the script, he agreed and created songs tailored specifically to its emotional beats. The decision to blend folk music with black comedy gave the film an intimate, rebellious tone.

Though the film now enjoys cult status, its box office reception in 1971 was cold. Many theaters pulled it after poor opening numbers. Critics called it “grotesque,” “disturbing,” and “morally questionable.” It took years of midnight screenings and word-of-mouth support to revive its image. Young audiences in college towns began flocking to see it, identifying with its message of living fully, breaking norms, and questioning societal rules. The film’s slow but steady rise from failure to cult classic is a rare trajectory in cinema.

Costumes and props also played a symbolic role. Harold’s suits became more colorful as his relationship with Maude grew, representing his emotional awakening. Maude’s sunflower-embroidered coat, meanwhile, was designed to reflect her philosophy of choosing beauty and spontaneity over control and tradition. Even Harold’s hearse a converted Jaguar E-Type was a handcrafted touch. The studio wanted a regular hearse, but Ashby commissioned a custom build to make the vehicle a symbol of Harold’s personality: glamorous, ironic, and funereal.

The chemistry between Cort and Gordon wasn’t rehearsed in a traditional way. Ashby believed in letting them discover it naturally. He encouraged the actors to spend time off set in character. They would go on unplanned drives or attend art galleries without cameras, all while speaking as Harold and Maude. This offscreen connection translated to an onscreen intimacy that felt genuine and unforced.

Every risk taken during the making of “Harold and Maude” was deliberate, even when no one knew if the film would succeed. The team believed that sincerity and strangeness could coexist, and they proved it with a story no one else dared to tell.