Methods for producing infectious, non-segmented, negative-stranded 
RNA viruses of the Order Mononegavirales are provided that involve coexpression of a viral cDNA along with essential viral proteins, N, P, and L in a host 
cell transiently transfected with an 
expression vector encoding an 
RNA polymerase. In alternate methods, after the host 
cell is transfected with a viral 
cDNA expression vector and one or more vectors encoding the 
RNA polymerase, N 
protein, P 
protein, and L 
protein, the host 
cell is exposed to an effective 
heat shock under conditions sufficient to increase 
recovery of the 
recombinant virus. In other alternate embodiments, the host cells are transferred after viral rescue begins into co-culture with a plaque expansion cell, typically a 
monolayer of expansion cells, and the assembled infectious, non-segmented, negative-stranded 
RNA virus is recovered from the co-culture. Also provided within the invention are compositions for producing infectious, non-segmented, negative-stranded 
RNA virus of the Order Mononegavirales, recombinant viruses produced using the foregoing methods and compositions, and immunogenic compositions and methods employing the recombinant viruses. In additional embodiments, the methods and compositions of the invention are employed to produce growth- or replication-defective non-segmented negative-stranded RNA viruses and subviral particles.