Roddy McDowall had been in the United States for only two weeks before being cast in the leading role of Huw. He had been evacuated from the UK with his mother and sister to keep out of harm's way during the Blitz.
Historians have called the way the wind plays with Maureen O'Hara's veil when she leaves the church after Angharad's wedding a stroke of luck for John Ford. Far from it, he had instructed the crew to set up wind machines to fan the veil into a perfect circle behind her head then blow it straight up into the air.