* TheCastShowoff:
** Creator/MadelineKahn singing opera; Creator/DomDeluise is a case of IronyAsSheIsCast.
** Creator/GeneWilder was an accomplished college fencer and gets to show off his swordfighting skill in this film.
* DevelopmentGag: Sgt Orville Sacker is a reference to Conan Doyle's early drafts of ''Literature/AStudyInScarlet'', in which the viewpoint character was Dr Ormond Sacker, before Conan Doyle realised TheWatson needed a solid, "ordinary" name.
* ProductionPosse: With the exception of Creator/LeoMcKern, Wilder had worked with every one of the top-billed actors at least once before. He'd previously worked with Creator/DomDeLuise in ''Film/BlazingSaddles'', with Creator/MartyFeldman in ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'', with and with Creator/MadelineKahn in both of those films. And he'd worked with Creator/RoyKinnear in ''Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory'', where they'd shared a good deal of comedic chemistry with one another.
** [=McKern=] and Kinnear had both appeared in Music/TheBeatles' film ''Film/{{Help}}'' a decade earlier.
* RealLifeRelative: Aubrey Morris (Coach Driver) and Wolfe Morris (Frenchman) were brothers in real-life.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/GeneWilder asked Creator/MelBrooks to direct. Brooks declined, stating that he would find it difficult to direct a screenplay that wasn't his own conception. Brooks did say, however, that Wilder should go off and make this film, could call upon him day or night, and after making this movie, he better "come back home as soon as you're done!" He did have a cameo as the voice of departing assassin after choosing the "lady" door over the "tiger" door, only to discover they're both tiger doors.

-----