Trivia / Paths of Glory

• Banned in China:
  • While not actually banned, the extremely unflattering portrait of the World War One French Army led to pressure on the film's distributor not to release it in France. As a result, it was never screened for French censors and not released there until 1975. The fact that France was still feeling sore from its infamous 1940 surrender certainly could not have helped, either.
  • In order to maintain good relations with its neighbor, Germany also kept the film from being released for two years after its premiere.
  • Banned in Spain by the censorship during Generalísimo Franco's dictatorship for its anti-military message. It wasn't released until 1986, 11 years after Franco's death.
  • Banned from being viewed in the US military, assumedly for the mutiny and insubordination it could inspire in unhappy soldiers.
• California Doubling: Although the story takes place on France's western front, Stanley Kubrick chose to shoot the film in and around Munich. Most interior scenes were filmed at Bavaria's Geiselgasteig Studios, and the chateau scenes were shot in nearby Schleissheim Castle, an 18th-century structure then serving as a national museum. Just beyond this location is the Dachau Concentration Camp memorial.
• Creator's Favorite Episode: Joe Turkel said in a 2014 interview that this was his favorite of all the movies he's done.
• Doing It for the Art:
  • Kirk Douglas told Stanley Kubrick, "Stanley, I don't think this picture will ever make a nickel, but we have to make it." Douglas' words proved to be prophetic — the film was not a success at the box office.
  • After getting a development deal at MGM, Kubrick chose to do this film because he'd liked the novel when he'd read it years before.
• Fake Nationality: The important French characters are played by American actors (who don't adopt French accents). For added irony points, the extras who play other French soldiers are mostly Germans, as the film was shot in Bavaria.
• Hostility on the Set: Kirk Douglas was irritated by Timothy Carey's erratic acting, and made his irritation known, loudly. However, Stanley Kubrick seemed to have enjoyed getting Douglas riled up. During the court-martial scene, when Douglas was criticizing Carey's delivery, Kubrick whispered to Carey, "Make this a good one, because Kirk doesn't like it."
• Produced By Castmember: Kirk Douglas produced the film through his company Bryna Productions.
• Romance on the Set:
  • Stanley Kubrick met Christiane Kubrick (then Christiane Harlan) during filming; she performs the singing at the end of the film. He divorced his second wife the following year to marry her, and they remained married until his death in 1999.
  • Timothy Carey met his wife Doris Carey while acting in this film in Germany.
• Throw It In!: Private Ferol's undignified breakdown as he's led before the firing squad was improvised. According to Timothy Carey, the actor portraying him, he was warned to make it good because Kirk Douglas wasn't liking it at all.
• Wag the Director: Stanley Kubrick originally wanted the film to end with Col. Dax saving his men from the firing squad by blackmailing his superiors. Kirk Douglas overruled him.
• What Could Have Been: Gregory Peck was initially offered the role of Col. Dax, but he had to turn it down due to a theatrical commitment. Producer James B. Harris wanted Jack Palance, even leaving a script in his dressing room when he was doing a William Shakespeare play in Connecticut, but never got a response. Charlton Heston was offered the role, but he chose to star in Touch of Evil. Richard Burton and James Mason were also considered.

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