In a 2007 interview on the Dennis Miller Radio Show, Jon Voight recalled a reunion that was held 20 years after the movie's release, with all of the available actors and actresses. Of the 21 actors and actresses who portrayed students, three were teachers at the time of the reunion.
Director Martin Ritt insisted that Pat Conroy's students should play themselves.
The pirate film that Pat shows his students in the classroom is "The Black Swan" (1942), with Tyrone Power and Maureen O'Hara.
Tina Andrews, who plays the reluctant student Mary, was 22 when shooting began in 1973.