The cast was supposed to include both 'Brigid Polk' and Ondine but according to David Bourdon, both failed to show up.
The cast was supposed to include both Brigid Berlin (aka Brigid Polk) and Ondine but according to David Bourdon, both failed to show up.
The film was originally conceived as a western version of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," to be called "Ramona and Julian". In the fall of 1967, while on a lecture tour in Tucson with Andy Warhol, Paul Morrissey had mentioned to the press that their next film would be a western filmed on location in Tucson and would be called "The Unwanted Cowboy."
The film was shot at the end of January 1968 in Arizona, on location in Old Tucson and at the Rancho Linda Vista Dude ranch 20 miles outside the city where some John Wayne movies had been filmed. It was edited by Andy Warhol while he was recuperating from wounds suffered when he was shot by Valerie Solanas on June 3, 1968,
Unable to find a major commercial exhibitor, Andy Warhol rented the Garrick Theatre in New York City, where it opened on 5 May 1969. According to co-director and producer Paul Morrissey, the film grossed a hefty $35,000-$40,000 during its first week, with only $9,000 spent on advertising. It was also booked at New York City's 55th Street Playhouse at the same time, where it broke the "single-day house mark," taking in $3,837 at $3.00 per ticket. That very same day it made $2,780 at the Garrick. The film ran for 20 weeks at various art houses in Los Angeles, and 2-1/2 months in San Francisco under distribution by Sherpix.
Won Best Film at the San Francisco Film Festival in November 1968.