The production camp was in a little known western Texan backwater township of Latijas which had a population of around only twelve people. The Texas town was a former desert trading post stop and was General "Black Jack" Pershing's headquarters during military campaign fighting against the Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. The production shoot in Latijas went for four weeks. That's Lajitas, TX.
During production two technicians and a woman were killed in an after-hours vehicle accident.
Willie Nelson had read only two pages of the film's screenplay when he decided he wanted to do the movie. Nelson exclaimed: "I want to be this guy" [Barbarosa].
High temperatures in Texas had a scorching effect on the production with the heat staying hot right into the evening. Shooting in such a remote location there also meant there was no television, air-conditioning and telephones whilst crew had to cram into rooms for their lodgings.
The picture's shooting location in Big Bend National Park was reputed to be around the time the film was made and released to be the most remote filming location ever used for an American movie.