Trivia

John Wayne, who was 41 when the film was made, won great acclaim for his portrayal of 60-year-old Capt. Nathan Brittles.

John Wayne named Capt. Nathan Brittles as one of his favorite roles.

John Ford initially was uncertain who to cast in the lead role. However, he knew that he did not want John Wayne for the part, taking into account that, among other factors, Wayne would be playing a character over 20 years older than he was at the time. Reportedly, Wayne's performance in Red River (1948) changed Ford's mind, causing him to exclaim, "I didn't know the big son of a bitch could act!" Ford realized Wayne had grown considerably as an actor, and was now capable of playing the character he envisaged for this film. When shooting was completed, Ford presented Wayne with a cake with the message, "You're an actor now."

John Wayne felt his Academy Award nomination for Best Actor of 1949 should have been for this film instead of Sands of Iwo Jima (1949).

The film was budgeted at $1,851,290, $40,000 less than Fort Apache (1948), and because of John Ford's familiarity with the Monument Valley area, it was completed after only 31 days of shooting and was brought in almost $500,000 under budget.