as it brandishes a nylon stocking and calmly approaches Joanna to strangle her as Dale looks on. Some time later, the artificial Joanna placidly peruses the local supermarket amongst the other glamorously dressed wives. As they make their way through the store, they each vacantly greet one another. During the end credits, photographs show a smiling Walter driving the family car and picking up his new "Stepford Wife" from the supermarket with their children in the backseat. Cast Analysis Film scholar John Kenneth Muir interprets The Stepford Wives as "a film essay about what it means to be part of an unspoken 'underclass.'" Production Development Producer Edgar Scherick recruited English director Bryan Forbes to direct the film. Brian De Palma was initially going to direct but William Goldman didn’t want him to. Casting For the lead role of Joanna Eberhart, Forbes initially met with Diane Keaton, whom he said turned it down because her analyst did not like the script. Jean Seberg declined the part; Tuesday Weld initially accepted but cancelled before filming began. The part eventually went to Katharine Ross. Joanna Cassidy was cast as Joanna's friend and ally Bobbie but was fired after a few weeks of production and replaced by Paula Prentiss. Mary Stuart Masterson (daughter of Peter Masterson), Dee Wallace and Franklin Cover appear in supporting roles. Tina Louise - the original Ginger Grant from Gilligan's Island- was cast as a 'wife' along with her TV character's replacement Judith Baldwin. For the role of Carol Van Sant, Forbes cast his wife, Nanette Newman. Filming Scheduling difficulties delayed the filming from 1973 until 1974. No exterior sets were built for the film, which was shot on location in several Connecticut towns. The climax was filmed at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion in Norwalk. Forbes purposefully chose white and bright colors, attempting to make a "thriller in sunlight". With the exception of the stormy night finale, it is almost over-saturated to emphasize bright lights and cheerful-looking settings. Tension developed between Forbes and screenwriter Goldman over the casting of Nanette Newman (Forbes' wife) as one of the wives. Goldman felt that the 40 year old Newman's appearance did not match the young provocatively-dressed model-like women he'd scripted for. Forbes responded by instituting contemporary prairie-style dress, complete with frilly aprons, for all the wives. Goldman was also unhappy with re-writes by Forbes - in particular, the ending - which Nanette Newman claimed