Under his contract with First Artists, Steve McQueen had final cut on the film and when Sam Peckinpah found out, he was upset. According to Richard Bright, McQueen chose takes that "made him look good" and Peckinpah felt that the actor played it safe: "He chose all these Playboy shots of himself. He's playing it safe with these pretty-boy shots."
Shot almost entirely in sequence.
The orange Volkswagen Beetle that Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw pass as they flee town after the bank heist is driven by James Garner. Garner had been visiting a friend on the shoot and was hired for his vehicular skills by stunt coordinator Carey Loftin. In what might be considered an error, moments earlier it can be seen parked on the street as Doc and Carol flee the scene.
It was Steve McQueen's idea to have his character shoot and blow up a squad car, in the scene where Doc holds two police officers at gunpoint.
Sam Peckinpah's intake of alcohol increased dramatically while making the film, and he was fond of saying, "I can't direct when I'm sober."