The French premiere was received with criticism on grounds of racism, as the character played by Woody Strode was shown to be a coward during the initial attack on the Chinese position.
Gregory Peck personally chose Lewis Milestone to direct because Milestone's All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) had made a deep impression on him.
According to director Lewis Milestone, the film was cut by nearly 20 minutes because Gregory Peck's wife felt that her husband made his first entrance too late into the picture. True or not, the film does show signs of post-production tampering, with flashes of several excised scenes showing up under the main title credits.
Gregory Peck, as Lt. Joe Clemons, is never seen firing his weapons (an M2 .30 carbine and a 1911A1 .45 pistol) at any time during the film. Peck was a lifelong pacifist and a major supporter of gun control.
Opening credits prologue: This is a true story, based on the book by Brig. Gen. S.L.A. Marshall USAR. In most cases not even the names of the people have been changed. We are deeply grateful for the cooperation of the United States Army.
Gregory Peck was considered too old to play a lieutenant. Joseph Clemons was a few days short of his 25th birthday at the end of the Battle of Pork Chop Hill. Peck was 42 when he played Clemons, ten years after playing Brigadier General Frank Savage in the World War II film Twelve O'Clock High (1949), a composite character based on two men who were in their late 30s to early 40s during that war.
Gregory Peck was a vocal opponent of the Korean War throughout its course.
The scene where the trucks drive away from the troops is almost identical to a scene in the director's "All Quiet on the Western Front"
