After marrying and having two sons, Floyd Humeston found it hard to care for Fagan and gave him away to a zoo, according to a synopsis for Audrey Peyton's "Fagan and Floyd." Fagan reportedly died from an ulcerated stomach, and Humeston worked several jobs before retiring near Palm Springs.
According to an article in the 8 September 1952 edition of The Hollywood Citizen-News, after filming was completed, Fagan remained at MGM's own animal compound until Private [link=Floyd Humeston's enlistment ended. Humeston (Hilston in this film) was an animal trainer, as was his mother, when he bought six-day-old Fagan at the World Jungle Compound in Thousand Oaks, California. Fagan was trained to be in a lion act with the Kelly and Moore Bros. Circus. After Humeston was drafted, he could not find a suitable home for Fagan and he initially took him to Fort Ord, California. Fagan was eventually placed with the Monterey County Humane Society before being used for this film.
The trials and tribulations of Fagan and his 24-year-old owner were chronicled in the 12 February 1951 edition of Life magazine in the article "Fearless Fagan Finds a Home" by Eldon W. Griffiths."
The real Private Floyd Humeston was employed as a technical advisor for this picture. Humeston received occasional leave from the U.S. Army to work as a technical advisor on the film. Fagan the lion played himself, along with another lion named Jackie being used in some scenes. The Daily Variety review noted that "longtime cinema lion" "Jackie" stood in for Fagan in some sequences.
The hash marks on Col. Horne's uniform left sleeve indicate he spent at least 1-1/2 years overseas in both WWI and WWII.