In the scene in the cattle pens when Max (Steve McQueen) fights Jessie Coe (Martin Landau), Max crouches behind a fence and opens the gate to let the cattle out. Some cattle come out the gate while others knock down the fence, and Max must dodge the flailing legs and hooves of the stampeding cattle. The knocking down of the fence was accidental, and McQueen was very nearly trampled for real. Shots of Max rolling clear of the hooves were added when it was decided to use the accidental footage.
There were complaints that Steve McQueen looked older than the actress playing his mother in this film.
Suzanne Pleshette once said in an interview that her love scenes with Steve McQueen in this movie were horribly awkward for both of them, as they had enjoyed a completely platonic friendship since she first came to Hollywood and he had very much taken on the role of big brother to her.