In a 2008 interview, actor Christopher Plummer called Williams "...one of the most realistic comedians the screen had. He made Cary Grant look like he was overacting... To watch Robert Williams act was like seeing a comic using the Method, long before the Method became famous with Marlon [Brando] (Marlon Brando) and Monty [Clift] (Montgomery Clift)."
This movie was Robert Williams' last screen appearance; he died following operations for appendicitis and peritonitis three days after the film's October 31 release.
Despite the film's measure of positive reviews and star power, it wasn't much of a hit at the box office; returns around the country were reported as "just fair" and "a bit disappointing".
This film was included among the American Film Institute's 2000 list of the 500 movies nominated for the Top 100 Funniest American Movies.