This light, frothy piece (in terms of Ingmar Bergman's general oeuvre) was made whilst the director was undergoing financial troubles, stomach pains (he weighed only 125 pounds at the time) and a romance with Harriet Andersson that was on the rocks. Bergman later said that if he hadn't made this film when he did, he probably would have attempted suicide.
According to Ingmar Bergman, Svensk Filmindustri submitted the film to that year's Cannes Film Festival without informing him. Bergman claims he found out when he was reading the newspaper, saw the headline "Swedish Success at Cannes," and soon realized they were talking about his film.
Despite the comedic tone of the film, Ingmar Bergman began work on the project during one of the most depressed portions of his life. Bergman later noted in an interview that he was so depressed that he only saw two alternatives: "write Smiles of a Summer Night, or kill myself."
Filmed in 55 days in the midst of a heatwave.
William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" served as the inspiration for the film's plot and tone.