Best of the Badmen (1951) was a loose follow-up to Return of the Bad Men (1948) which in turn followed Badman's Territory (1946).
Although not a "prequel," the RKO release Badman's Territory (1946) was also set in the lawless town of Quinto and featured some of the same outlaw characters as Best of the Badmen (1951). Randolph Scott and Robert Ryan co-starred in the 1946 film. Some of the film's characters are loosely based on real people.
Parts of Best of the Badmen (1951) were shot in Paria, Johnson Canyon, Strawberry Valley, the Gap, and Kanab Canyon in Utah.
Voice-over narration, spoken by Walter Brennan as his character "'Doc' Butcher," is heard intermittently during Best of the Badmen (1951).