The least expensive theater release movie ever produced was a 1973 snoozer called "The Way it Was" (aka "Cracker Love Triangle" in Greece and "Blue Peaceful Mountain Cowboy" in Japan) starring Ben Murphy and a lesser known actress named Tonya Stevens - she changed her name after the release of this movie and went into hiding. Her current werabouts are unknown. Not only did this film "star" Ben Murphy, but the film was also written, directed, and produced by Ben Murphy. Ben plays a lonely piano teacher in North Dakota named Danny who strikes up a quirky romance with Lita, a book store owner played by Tonya. Aside from Tonya, Ben was his own supporting actor, playing a bad makeup, fake mustache Mexican character known as Jose who was the half brother of the Danny and who also loved Lita. In the end, the two brothers reconsile their differences and go on a roadtrip to Vegas with each other.
Sunnyside Productions, the only studio stupid enough to take on such a project, later sued Ben Murphy for the cost of production, the money they had paid him to act in it, and for punitive damages for the horrible scar on the company's reputation. Therefore, Ben had to pay the studio a total of $2,345.26, effectively making the cost of production -$12.46.