Trivia

Cameraman William Casel was killed and his assistant injured when a cannon slipped as they were following it up a hill.

Two future actors from the Superman (1952) TV series appear in this film--Robert Shayne in a featured role and John Hamilton in one of his many uncredited roles.

This film is based on the real-life story of an army horse called Rodney. The real Rodney served in the Spanish-American War (not WWI as in the film) and was almost sold at auction until members of the 3rd Field Artillery chipped in to purchase and keep him. The following can be found in the orders issues for Rodney's care at the base: "He has richly deserved whatever of kindness and gratitude his masters may show, and the formal recognition of his retirement and maintenance during the few remaining years of his life would not only be appropriate, but it would show to the world that our government is great enough to recognize and reward true merit wherever it is found." Rodney lived to the age of 30 and died at Fort Myer, Va.

The Army Technical Advisor for the film wrote about the making of the film in "Walter Huston and "Keep 'em Rolling" By Maj. Gen. H. W. Blakeley, USA, Ret. THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL May-June 1950 pp. 114-116. In it he says "That night I read the script, and bright and early the next morning I reported to Colonel Joyce that it in my opinion was impossible to even think of permitting Army participation in the production of the story as written. It reflected on the Army, was unrealistic in dialogue and military procedures, and my "technical advice" was to have a showdown right now. A major re-write was indicated. The reaction from the moving picture people was understandably violent, but Colonel Joyce stood firm. As the rest of the company, including Walter Huston, Frances Dee, and Frank Conroy, was on the way by train, the RKO representatives were on a spot. Eventually, the decision was made to ease out the writer who had done the screen version, and a new writer, Albert Shelby LeVino, was brought east by air.