Filming took place in Almería, Spain in a sandy wasteland called Cabo de Gata starting in September 1964 for five weeks on location. An old Spanish fort in Málaga was used for the prison.
Many people associated with the production had regarded the filming as pleasant, despite difficult conditions---The temperatures rarely fell below 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius), and despite the 2,000 gallons of pure water that were shipped in for the crew, almost everyone succumbed to dysentery during the shoot.
Many people associated with the production had regarded the filming as pleasant, despite difficult conditions---The temperatures rarely fell below 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius), and despite the 2,000 gallons of pure water that were shipped in for the crew, almost everyone succumbed to dysentery during the shoot.
Filming began on September 14, 1964, in Almería, Spain. As a result, Sir Sean Connery was unable to attend the premiere of Goldfinger (1964), on which he had just completed work.
Sidney Lumet used three wide-angle lenses: a 24mm, a 21mm, and an 18mm. He deliberately wanted distortion in the faces, even the close-ups.
Despite the film's lack of commercial success, Sean Connery considered it a personal triumph, as it led to more challenging acting roles in the future.
In Sidney Lumet's autobiography "Making Movies," he recalled suffering through the horrendous heat of the location and asking Sir Sean Connery if he was urinating at all, to which Connery's reply was "Only in the morning."