Final film of Randolph Scott. He retired from acting once he saw the finished film, saying he wanted to quit while he was ahead and that he would never be able to better his work here.
Sam Peckinpah tailored much of the character of Steve Judd to reflect his own father. Judd's most memorable line, "I just want to enter my house justified", was a Bible-reference line he often heard his father say. On seeing the finished film, Peckinpah's sister cried, struck by how effectively and completely he had captured the essence of "the old man" on screen.
Robert Culp turned down the role of Billy Hammond. He recalled, "I didn't want to do it because I was trying to create a career in features and I was fighting to be a leading man. If I'd done that, I would have wound up like Bruce Dern, playing crazies. In terms of mistakes in my life, that was one of mine. Peckinpah never forgave me. And he never offered me another part. All the people who were part of his stock company were his friends and, as an actor, I was bitter at not being one of them that he called on. It was because I turned him down."
Sam Peckinpah, who tended to edit in his head as he went along, didn't shoot much extra coverage beyond the footage he knew he needed for each scene. After viewing the rushes, MGM management sent him a note: "Who do you think you are, John Ford?"
Joel McCrea was originally cast as Westrum and Randolph Scott was Judd. However, early in the production each actor went to the producer on his own, dissatisfied and ready to quit, so the roles were reversed.