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.