During the production, Lon Chaney formed a close friendship with Marine Corps Gen. Smedley Butler, which lasted for the rest of Chaney's life.
The highest-grossing film of Lon Chaney's career and the second highest-grossing film for MGM in 1927, only slightly behind Anna Karenina (1927).
Because his performance was considered to be so realistic, Lon Chaney became the first actor to be granted an honorary membership in the U.S. Marine Corps. When Chaney died in 1930, Gen. Smedley Butler arranged for a military chaplain and honor guard at Chaney's funeral. Sgt. H.H. Hopple, who had been a technical advisor on this film, served as the honor guard.
Not only did Lon Chaney forgo his customary grotesque makeup for this picture, he refused to wear any film makeup at all, because - he reportedly reasoned - to do so would detract from the documentary reality and integrity of the picture.