The film was originally going to be titled "Siente a un pobre a su mesa" ("seat a poor man at your table"), but this was ultimately changed because the Spanish censorship would not allow it.
The idea for the film came from a campaign created by the Franco regime in the fifties that urged citizens to share Christmas Eve dinner with those who did not have enough resources for a hot meal. The program was called Feed a Poor Man at Your Table. Far from being an example of altruistic charity, this campaign seemed to seek the reconciliation of citizens with their consciences through an isolated gesture of solidarity. This apparent selfishness camouflaged as false solidarity inspired Berlanga to write the screenplay for Plácido .
Voted fourth best Spanish film by professionals and critics in 1996 spanish cinema centenary.
When the filming of Plácido began, Berlanga had already had several scripts rejected by the censorship and he was forced to change the original title from "Seat a Poor Man at Your Table" to "Placido" since in the eyes of the committee, the title could have a double meaning.
Scriptwriter Rafael Azcona introduced black humor and a focus on death to Berlanga's films that had not previously been present.