Resnais's film is a faithful adaptation of the operetta by Barde and Yvain. Its original dialogue was retained, even when outdated, and characters are unchanged except in one instance (Arlette); four of the original musical numbers were omitted because they were felt to slow up the action. Orchestration and some additional music was provided by Bruno Fontaine. In selecting his cast, Resnais was insistent that he wanted actors who sang rather than singers who acted, and several of his regular collaborators (Azéma, Arditi, Wilson) appear. The songs were recorded first and the film was then shot with the actors performing to a play-back. Resnais circulated Lubitsch's 1925 (silent) adaptation of "Lady Windermere's Fan" among his cast to intimate the tone of the film that he wanted.