Trivia / The Big Red One

• California Doubling: Most of the film was shot in Israel, with many of the Nazis ironically played by Jewish locals.
• Cast the Expert: Lee Marvin fought in WWII, but in the Pacific at Saipan.
• Dawson Casting: Many critics felt that Lee Marvin was too old at 54 to play the sergeant.
• Executive Meddling: The original theatrical release was the result of significant cuts and re-editing done by the studio to try and create a more conventional war film. It was decades before another version closer to Samuel Fuller's original vision was released to critical acclaim.
• Playing Against Type: Mark Hamill took the role of the cynical Griff in an attempt to show he had range beyond the idealistic Luke Skywalker.
• Reality Subtext: The scene in which the sergeant is wounded is a re-creation of how Lee Marvin was wounded in real life as a Marine in the Pacific. As in the film, Marvin was shot through the back and collapsed down on his knees.
• Saved from Development Hell: The movie had been planned for over twenty years before it was finally filmed. A previous Samuel Fuller film, Merrill's Marauders, was supposed to be the original version of this.
• What Could Have Been:
  • The studio wanted John Wayne as The Sergeant, but his failing health at the time prevented him from appearing.
  • Reportedly, Fuller wanted Martin Scorsese for the role of Pvt. Vinci, 1st Squad, but Scorsese moved on to do Raging Bull.
• Write What You Know: Samuel Fuller served in World War II. He was a member of "The Big Red One" and many of the moments in this movie are based upon his own experiences.

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