MGM siphoned money intended for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) on the assumption that "Brigadoon" would be the big hit of the year. However, Brigadoon did not even break even in the United States, while "Seven Brides" was a big box office hit.
Although one of the greatest female dancers in the history of the movie musical, Cyd Charisse was not a skilled singer and her vocals were invariably dubbed (by Carol Richards in this film).
Actor Gene Kelly and director Vincente Minnelli both wanted to film Brigadoon (1954) on location in Scotland but, in a cost-saving move, the studio insisted that it be shot entirely within the studio's confines. Minnelli later admitted that this decision drained any enthusiasm he had for the project which led to a cursory, paint-by-numbers transcription of the Broadway show. Indeed, when it was released, critics noted the staged 'studio feel' of the movie. The same cost-cutting measures befell Stanley Donen's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) that same year, also forced to shoot indoors. But Donen believed so much in his project that he managed to overcome the obstacle, which Minnelli did not, despite having had double the budget of Donen's film.
The highland backdrops were more than 600 feet long and 60 feet high, and cost $382,280.