The Flying Nun - Production Notes

Production Notes

The San Juan convent courtyard exterior was actually the rear area of a house facade at the Warner Brothers Ranch's suburban street/backlot in Burbank, California, along Hollywood Way north of West Oak Street.

A soundtrack LP featuring songs from the series sung by Sally Field was released by Colgems in 1967.

Field spoke on a DVD featurette for season 1, and talked of taking the role after her stepfather Jock Mahoney scared her by saying she should not refuse the role as she might not work again in show business. She finally accepted the role and Screen Gems fired their second choice lead Ronne Troup who had begun filming the pilot. Field recalled hanging from a crane and being humiliated by a parade of episodic TV directors, one of whom actually grabbed her shoulders and moved her into position as if she were a prop. She credits co-star Madeleine Sherwood for mentoring her to enroll in acting classes during her evenings and weekends.

Another problem the show's producers had to contend with was the fact that at the beginning of the filming schedule of The Flying Nun's third (and final) season, Sally Field was noticeably pregnant with her first child. This was a logistical nightmare for a series in which Field's character was supposed to be a religious celibate, and skinny enough to fly away in the wind. The show solved the problem by using props and scenery to block view of Field's body below the chest, and using long shots of Field's stunt double for the flying sequences.