▁– ▁Johnny ▁Bur ke ▁ ▁Production ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁non ▁fiction ▁book ▁The ▁Big ▁Bank roll . ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁called ▁it ▁a ▁" gal lop ing ▁account ". ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁was ▁a ▁best ▁s eller ▁and ▁several ▁companies ▁were ▁interested ▁in ▁film ▁rights . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁film ▁rights ▁were ▁bought ▁by ▁Al lied ▁Art ists , ▁who ▁had ▁enjoyed ▁a ▁big ▁commercial ▁success ▁with ▁Al ▁Cap one ▁( 1 9 5 9 ) ▁and ▁were ▁interested ▁in ▁making ▁more ▁gang ster ▁films . ▁The ▁purchase ▁price ▁was ▁described ▁as ▁" well ▁into ▁six ▁figures ▁as ▁against ▁a ▁percentage ▁of ▁the ▁gross ." ▁ ▁David ▁Diam ond ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁produce ▁and ▁he ▁wanted ▁Dean ▁Martin ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁lead . ▁Gene ▁Kelly ▁reported ly ▁expressed ▁interest ▁in ▁st arring ▁and ▁direct ing . ▁ ▁Al lied ▁Art ists ▁were ▁undert aking ▁their ▁most ▁am bit ious ▁film ▁program ▁in ▁five ▁years , ▁announ cing ▁ 1 5 ▁films ▁would ▁be ▁made ▁over ▁ 6 ▁months . ▁Several ▁of ▁these ▁had ▁a ▁gang ster ▁theme ▁including ▁The ▁Big ▁Bank roll ▁and ▁The ▁George ▁R aft ▁Story . ▁ ▁Produ cers ▁Sam ▁B isch off ▁and ▁David ▁Diam ond ▁had ▁previously ▁made ▁The ▁Ph enix ▁City ▁Story . ▁ ▁The ▁produ cers ▁could ▁not ▁get ▁releases ▁from ▁the ▁real - life ▁people ▁dep icted ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁apart ▁from ▁Roth stein ' s ▁wife ▁Carol yn .