The original finish, which was filmed and edited into previews, had Charlie Smith (Jack Nicholson) bomb the Border Patrol Headquarters and get sent to prison. But the ending proved to be too downbeat for audiences.
Apparently, Jack Nicholson once said that of all the pictures he had been in, this was the best film he had ever made.
Media reports stated that Jack Nicholson was frequently late arriving on-set. Reportedly, Nicholson was not happy with this, and once replied: "I'm too much of a professional to behave like that."
Phil Hartman dubbed Jack Nicholson in the scene where Jack tells Harvey Keitel "I really want to thank you and your wife for all your help." Phil recounted the early job to Jack when they met years later, Nicholson laughed and responded "no wonder that movie is my only loser".
Some movie posters for this film featured a long preamble which read: "When Charlie Smith went down to the border, he found more than a boundary line between Texas and Mexico. He found a line within himself. The Border is the most controversial and emotionally gripping film of 1982. As Charlie Smith, Jack Nicholson delivers one of the most powerful performances of his career. He is a man as divided as the land itself. An uncomplicated man trapped in a complicated life. The Border is an intense film both in its use of language and depiction of violence."
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