According to co-star
John Saxon,
Marlon Brando's relationship with director
Sidney J. Furie got to the point where Brando, when getting ready to do a close-up, would be reading a book. He would only lower the book when Furie yelled "Action." When he yelled "Cut," Brando would raise the book again. According to Peter Manso's book on Brando, however, Brando and Furie met years later. Brando was quoted to have said, "I thought you were a no-good double-crosser, and I didn't know if I could trust you, but I saw the film and you have the great sense of the best visual directors. Let's do another movie together." Furie, according to the book, replied, "Never!" Furie, for his part, claims that they only came to blows once on the entire shoot of The Appaloosa (1966).