Because 'La Grande Vadrouille' also starring Bourvil and released a couple of years earlier was such a tremendous success, the producers changed the title into nonsensical "La grande lessive" against the wish of the director who initially called the film "Le tube" and publicly expressed his astonishment by adding "(!)".
According to director Jean-Pierre Mocky, big star Bourvil, usually hired to play nice imbeciles, gladly accepted to star in this film for a reduced fee because he had an unique chance to play an intellectual.