Rock singer Joan Jett auditioned several times for the Kathleen Wilhoite role. Jett nearly got the part but was edged out due to her lack of acting experience. However, a friendship between Jett and Charles Bronson (and Bronson's wife, Jill Ireland) lasted until his death.
When there would be delays between takes, Charles Bronson would often get frustrated and could be heard saying "Let's shoot! Let's shoot!" causing the crew to scramble. One reason for this is that family man Charles Bronson liked to go home after shooting each day and have dinner with his family.
The film's finale takes place in the historic Bradbury Building in Los Angeles. Many movies have shot in the Bradbury, with the most famous being Blade Runner (1982). One of the rules that the production crew had to follow when working in the Bradbury was that no food or drink was permitted on set.
Director J. Lee Thompson and producer Pancho Kohner sat down with Kathleen Wilhoite prior to shooting to discuss how to get along with her co-star Charles Bronson. Their advice worked and Bronson and Wilhoite got along splendidly on set.
The film features two locations from the "Friday the 13th" series. The farmhouse where Murphy crashes the helicopter is from Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982) and the the house where Murphy's old partner lives is from Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984).