The film was originally titled The Day It Happened, Baby, after the 1966 short story by Robert Thom upon which it was based, according to a 13 Jun 1968 LAT brief. However, when the project was in development, American International Pictures (AIP) decided to recycle Wild in the Streets, the title of an abandoned project on which the studio had already spent money and created artwork. Thus, The Day It Happened, Baby was renamed Wild in the Streets. Director Barry Shear was quoted as saying the revised title had “nothing to do with the picture.”
       An item in the 21 Feb 1967 DV announced the project as one of six upcoming “youth protest” films at AIP. Shortly after, an 8 Mar 1967 Var item reported that Wild in the Streets was cancelled because AIP had acquired rights to a similar film, titled The Born Losers (1967, see entry). The following month, a 14 Apr 1967 LAT news brief stated that Barry Shear would direct Wild in the Streets, from a script by Sy Salkowitz, and made no mention of the previously announced cancellation. The budget was estimated at over $1 million in the 9 Aug 1967 DV, and the project was said to be AIP’s most expensive, to date, according to the 5 May 1968 LAT. The 31 Jan 1969 DV reported that lead actor Christopher Jones received a salary of $50,000. Meanwhile, as part of her deal, co-star Shelley Winters was promised a percentage of the film’s profits, according to the 7 Sep 1967 LAT.
       Principal photography began on 7 Aug 1967 in Los Angeles, CA. As noted in a 31 Aug 1967 DV item, location filming took place the previous day at the Lindy Opera House (formerly the Ritz Theatre).
       Various DV and LAT items published between 18 Aug 1967 and 31 Aug 1967 listed the following actors as cast members: Baynes Barron, who was set to play a police commissioner; Olan Soule, reportedly cast in the role of a cosmetic dentist; Jacquelyn Hunter; Frank Arno; Chris Hudley; Lila Karlsen; and Kevin Cooper.
       The 9 Aug 1967 DV noted that the project represented a “general upgrade in product” for AIP. The studio was said to have “big hope” for the picture, which was moved from its “protest” category of releases to the “topical special” grouping. A premiere was initially scheduled to take place on 10 Apr 1968 in Chicago, IL, the 20 Feb 1968 DV noted. However, an item in the 10 Apr 1968 Var reported that a recent spate of racial violence prompted AIP to cancel the event. A brief in the 26 May 1968 NYT stated that the film would debut on 29 May 1968 in New York City, at the New Embassy Theatre and 72nd Street Playhouse. In Los Angeles, the picture opened 17 Jun 1968 at the Beverly Theater. It was met with favorable reviews in the 8 May 1968 Var, 30 May 1968 NYT, and 18 Jul 1968 LAT.
       According to an item in the 7 Aug 1968 Var, first-run box-office returns were not as high as AIP had hoped, but the film had the potential to become its “biggest grosser yet” after the release widened to smaller markets and drive-ins. After several months in theaters, an article in the 29 Oct 1968 DV referred to the picture as a “blockbuster.” Its soundtrack, also released by AIP, enjoyed commercial success as well, helping the studio earn a net profit of $200,000 in the summer 1968 fiscal quarter, the 25 Sep 1968 DV reported. The soundtrack featured the first “score” of original film songs written by husband-and-wife songwriting duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, according to a 20 Sep 1967 Var brief.
       Fred Feitshans and Eve Newman received an Academy Award nomination for Film Editing. As noted in the 21 Aug 1968 Var, the picture was screened in the “Opera Prima” section (a.k.a. “first work contest”) at the Venice Film Festival.
       A sequel was announced in the 7 Dec 1967 DV. Robert Thom was hired to write the screenplay for AIP, under the recycled title The Day It All Happened, Baby. Filming was scheduled to take place in summer 1968. The 3 Jan 1968 Var noted that Thom was also writing a novelization of Wild in the Streets, to be published by Pyramid Books and released as a tie-in with the film.