The movie was actually filmed in 1971 shortly after Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland had co-starred in the very different picture Klute (1971). The production required re-shoots and had a few delays and was not released anywhere until 1973. Fonda and Sutherland, who briefly had a real-life personal relationship around that time, were also both involved in "The FTA Show", a wartime entertainment gig which toured towns in the USA which had military bases nearby. The show was a satirical event protesting the Vietnam War. Several other people connected with 'Steelyard Blues' were also involved and this notably included actor Peter Boyle. The three also had just appeared in a feature film version of the show [See: FTA (1972)].
David S. Ward got the idea for The Sting (1973) when he was working on the script for Steelyard Blues (1973), which includes a pick-pocketing scene. Researching this, Ward found himself reading about con artists.
Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland previously appeared in Klute (1971) also playing a strange couple. Both films were produced by Warner Bros. studio.
Marlon Brando had won the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar (Academy Award) for The Godfather (1972) just the previous year. 'Steelyard Blues' (1973) has been notable for an impersonation of him by Peter Boyle whose leather jacketed Brando imitation was inspired by Brando's performance in The Wild One (1953).