Trivia / The War Lord (1965)

• Blooper: A cable that was used to control the fall of the siege tower visibly moved the water of the moat when it falls.
• California Doubling: Despite being set in 11th-century Normandy, north-western France, the picture was filmed entirely in California. It was most unusual for the time, most large-scale historical epics were shot in either Spain or Italy back in The '50s and The '60s.
• Cast the Runner-Up: Richard Boone was considered for the role of Draco before being cast as Bors.
• Creator Backlash: Charlton Heston admitted in his 1978 journal An Actor's Life that he was "not impressed" by Richard Boone's performance.
• Deleted Scene: The original theatrical release prints had Richard Boone reciting a poem over the procession before the end credits began. This scene was removed from the prints upon release and replaced with an almost identical scene with no recitation.
• Playing Against Type: Prior to this film, Richard Boone was known for his officer and cowboy roles in Western series and films, particularly the gentlemanly and cultured gunslinger Paladin in Have Gun – Will Travel. The burly and gruff Bors is quite far from that.
• Underage Casting: Richard Boone was only six years older than Charlton Heston, yet Bors is the Older Sidekick who served Chrysagon's father and saw Chrysagon grow up. It's sold with Boone's rugged looks and Heston playing a well groomed feudal lord.
• What Could Have Been:
  • John Gielgud turned down the role of the priest, which went to Maurice Evans instead.
  • Heston tried to get David Lean and then Peter Ustinov as directors, without success.
  • Heston also wanted Stanley Baker for the role of Draco, which then went to Richard Boone, then went to Guy Stockwell instead.
  • Heston wanted Julie Christie as Bronwyn, but she was vetoed by the studio and the role went to Rosemary Forsyth.

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