Criminals at Large, Anthony Boucher praised the 1964 novel Day of the Arrow, written by Robin Estridge under the pen name Philip Loraine. Boucher compared the book to the works of Daphne Du Maurier, Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, Norah Lofts and Evelyn Berckman, writing that it "tells very much the same kind of brooding, atmospheric story, in very much the same kind of setting (an ancestral castle in the Auvergne), but from a male viewpoint and with a mind working in a completely masculine manner.... This is a setting for [a] highly civilized and aristocratic nightmare, as a young Scottish painter tries to identify the sinister forces that are taking control of his friend the Marquis. The answer will come as no surprise to anyone who has ever leafed through The Golden Bough, but its obviousness in no way diminishes its power. The book is as full of tantalizing and terror‐hinting symbols as a pack of tarot cards, and as oddly vivid in its invented folklore as Ngaio Marsh's Death of a Fool." Martin Ransohoff of Filmways, who had a multi-picture deal with MGM, bought the film rights to Day of the Arrow. Estridge adapted his own novel for the screen. Dennis Murphy shared credit for the screenplay. Terry Southern did additional "tightening and brightening" of the script, uncredited. Kim Novak, who had signed a three-picture deal with Ransohoff in 1961, was signed to play the lead, with Niven co-starring. Tate had been discovered by Ransohoff when she auditioned for Petticoat Junction. Impressed, he signed her to a seven-year contract. She then spent months studying and playing small roles at Ransohoff's expense, such as a recurring role on The Beverly Hillbillies, before making her feature film debut in Eye of the Devil. Said Ransohoff, "Everybody should make an effort to show a new face in every major picture". Sidney J. Furie, who had signed a three-picture deal with Ransohoff, was originally slated to direct Eye of the Devil. In August 1965, shortly before filming was to begin, Furie was replaced by Michael Anderson. Anderson fell ill, and was replaced, in turn, by J. Lee Thompson. Alex Sanders, an English occultist and Wiccan, was hired as a consultant to give the pagan rites some authenticity. The feature's title was changed from Day of the Arrow to 13 shortly before shooting started. Shooting Filming started on 13 September 1965. Shooting locations included