▁had ▁written ▁the ▁script ▁himself ▁with ▁U go ▁Guerra ▁possibly ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁story ▁early ▁on , ▁whilst ▁Luci ano ▁Mart ino ▁had ▁no ▁contribution ▁to ▁the ▁script . ▁Gast ald i ▁was ▁shown ▁an ▁Italian ▁print ▁of ▁The ▁Pit ▁and ▁the ▁P end ul um ▁( 1 9 6 1 ) ▁by ▁the ▁produ cers ▁who ▁requested ▁a ▁similar ▁film ▁to ▁be ▁made . ▁Gast ald i ▁is ▁cred ited ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁director ▁in ▁the ▁film ' s ▁cred its , ▁but ▁has ▁stated ▁he ▁was ▁never ▁even ▁on ▁the ▁set ▁of ▁the ▁film . ▁Mario ▁B ava ▁was ▁brought ▁in ▁to ▁direct ▁the ▁film ▁through ▁U go ▁Guerra ' s ▁suggestion ▁as ▁he ▁could ▁both ▁direct ▁the ▁film ▁and ▁photograph ▁the ▁film . ▁B ava ▁took ▁care ▁of ▁the ▁cinemat ography ▁for ▁the ▁film ▁while ▁his ▁regular ▁camera ▁man ▁U bal do ▁Ter z ano ▁is ▁cred ited ▁as ▁the ▁cinemat ograph er . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁shot ▁for ▁under ▁ <0xE2> <0x82> <0xA4> 1 5 9 ▁million ▁Italian ▁lire ▁for ▁six ▁week ▁shooting ▁schedule ▁with ▁one ▁more ▁week ▁for ▁special ▁effects . ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁shot ▁in ▁both ▁An z io ▁and ▁Cast el ▁Sant ' Ang elo ▁in ▁Rome . ▁ ▁Release ▁ ▁The ▁film ' s ▁sad omas och istic ▁theme ▁caused ▁trouble ▁with ▁cens ors ▁in ▁Italy . ▁The ▁board ▁of ▁cens ors ▁demanded ▁no ▁cut s ▁to ▁the ▁film , ▁but ▁gave ▁it ▁a ▁V . M . ▁ 1 8