History Trivia / WhereEaglesDare

* TroubledProduction: The production was delayed while filming due to the weather in Austria. Shooting took place in winter and early spring of 1968 and the crew had to contend with blizzards, sub-zero temperatures and potential avalanches. Further delays were incurred when Creator/RichardBurton, well known for his drinking habits, disappeared for several days with his friends Creator/PeterOToole. Creator/TrevorHoward and Creator/RichardHarris. According to Derren Nesbitt, Burton was drinking four bottles of voldka a day. At one point, Burton was threatened by a jealous husband with a gun in a bar, leaving Creator/ClintEastwood and Creator/ElizabethTaylor to deal with him. Nesbitt, when filming von Hapen's death scene, had to be rushed to the hospital after a squib malfunctioned and went off into his eyes, nearly blinding him.

** Creator/MichaelCaine claimed to have turned down the role of Major Smith. He would play in a UsefulNotes/WorldWarII commando film (albeit as a German) a couple years later, ''Film/TheEagleHasLanded''.

* DyingForYourArt: Nesbitt was almost blinded when the squib used for von Hapen's death scene malfunctioned.

* ProductionNickname: Creator/ClintEastwood nicknamed the film "Where Doubles Dared."

* TroubledProduction: The production was delayed while filming due to the weather in Austria. Shooting took place in winter and early spring of 1968 and the crew had to contend with blizzards, sub-zero temperatures and potential avalanches. Further delays were incurred when Creator/RichardBurton, well known for his drinking habits, disappeared for several days with his friends Creator/PeterOToole and Creator/RichardHarris. Derren Nesbitt, when filming von Hapen's death scene, had to be rushed to the hospital after a squib malfunctioned and went off into his eyes, nearly blinding him.

* DyeingForYourArt: Natural blonde Darren Nesbitt's hair is such an unusual shade because it had to be dyed twice. He was supposed to get it dyed ''back'' to blonde from another color (he often appeared with brown or black hair in films). But an accident with the process turned his hair ''green'', forcing them to dye it ''again'', turning it that unnatural-looking shade of platinum blonde.

* WagTheDirector: Creator/ClintEastwood refused to have his hair cut for his role. He initially opined that the script written by Creator/Alistair MacLean was "terrible" and was "all exposition and complications", and - according to Derren Nesbitt - requested that he be given less dialogue. Most of Schaffer's lines were given to Creator/RichardBurton, whilst Eastwood handled most of the action scenes.

** Creator/MichaelCaine claimed to have turned down the role of Major Smith. He would play in a World War II commando film (albeit as a German) a couple years later, ''Film/TheEagleHasLanded''.

* SoMyKidsCanWatch: Specifically written by Alistair [=MacLean=] to give his mate Creator/RichardBurton a good old-fashioned adventure romp to show the kids (said kids wanted to see their dad in something that wasn't highbrow and where he didn't get killed).

* ViewersAreMorons: When Derren Nesbitt pointed out that the Nazi helicopter was wrong, director Brian G. Hutton's response was famously, "Well, they won't know that in Arkansas."
* WagTheDirector: Creator/ClintEastwood refused to have his hair cut for his role. He initially opined that the script written by Alistair [=MacLean=] was "terrible" and was "all exposition and complications", and - according to Derren Nesbitt - requested that he be given less dialogue. Most of Schaffer's lines were given to Creator/RichardBurton, whilst Eastwood handled most of the action scenes.

** Creator/MichaelCaine claimed to have turned down the role of Major Smith. He would later play in a World War II commando film, albeit as a German, in ''Film/TheEagleHasLanded''.

** Creator/MichaelCaine later claimed to have turned down the role of Major Smith.

* HeyItsThatPlace: The castle, Schloss Hohenwen, is the same castle that can be seen in the background in a scene from ''Film/TheSoundOfMusic'' when Maria and the kids are singing "Do Re Me".

* TroubledProduction: The production was delayed while filming due to the weather in Austria. Shooting took place in winter and early spring of 1968 and the crew had to contend with blizzards, sub-zero temperatures and potential avalanches. Further delays were incurred when Creator/RichardBurton, well known for his drinking habits, disappeared for several days with his friends Creator/PeterOToole and Creator/RichardHarris.

* DyingForYourArt: Nesbitt almost got killed when filming von Hapen's death scene. The squib malfunctioned and exploded into his eyes, nearly blinding him.

* WagTheDirector: Creator/ClintEastwood refused to have his hair cut for his role. He initially opined that the script written by Alistair [=MacLean=] was "terrible" and was "all exposition and complications", and-according to Derren Nesbitt-requested that he be given less dialogue. Most of Schaffer's lines were given to Creator/RichardBurton, whilst Eastwood handled most of the action scenes.

* EnforcedMethodActing: Nazi concentration camp survivor Ingrid Pitt found filming very difficult because many of the cast were wearing UsefulNotes/WorldWarII German army uniforms.
* HeyItsThatPlace: The castle, Schloss Hohenwen, is the same castle that can be seen in the background in a scene from ''Film/TheSoundOfMusic'' when Maria and the kids are singing Do Re Me.

** Creator/MichaelCaine later claimed to have turned down the role of Major Smith.

* SoMyKidsCanWatch: Specifically written by Alistair [=MacLean=] to give his mate Creator/RichardBurton a good old-fashioned adventure romp to show the kids (said kids wanted to see their dad in something that wasn't highbrow).

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/LeeMarvin was offered the role of Schaffer, but he declined, telling the producers they were about 4 years too late. Marvin had already starred in a [=WW2=] action-adventure, ''Film/TheDirtyDozen'', which he hated. Although it made him a huge star, he did not want to return to that type of movie.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/LeeMarvin was offered the role of Schaffer, but he declined, telling the producers they were about 4 years too late. Marvin had already starred in a WW2 action-adventure, ''Film/TheDirtyDozen'', which he hated. Although it made him a huge star, he did not want to return to that type of movie.

* SoMyKidsCanWatch: Specifically written by Alistair [=MacLean=] to give his mate Creator/Richard Burton a good old-fashioned adventure romp to show the kids (said kids wanted to see their dad in something that wasn't highbrow).

* SoMyKidsCanWatch: Specifically written by Alistair [=MacLean=] to give his mate Richard Burton a good old-fashioned adventure romp to show the kids (said kids wanted to see their dad in something that wasn't highbrow).
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* ViewersAreMorons: According to Darren Nesbitt, when he pointed out to director Brian G. Hutton that he didn't think Nazis had helicopters in WorldWarII, Hutton simply replied, "They won't know that in Arkansas."

* SoMyKidsCanWatch: Specifically written by Alistair [=McLean=] to give his mate Richard Burton a good old-fashioned adventure romp to show the kids.

* DyingForYourArt: An accident with a blood squib almost blinded Darren Nesbitt when filming the dining room scene.

* DyeingForYourArt: Natural blonde Darren Nesbitt's hair is such an unusual shade because it had to be dyed twice. He'd appeared in many films with dyed hair, and wanted to have his natural color for this film. But an accident with the dyeing process turned his hair ''green'', forcing them to dye it ''again'', turning it that unnatural-looking shade of platinum blonde.