The special lightweight rifle that The Jackal concealed in a crutch was a genuine working model. Two of them were made for this movie; one was handed over to the British authorities, the other resides in the Paris Cinematheque.
Director Fred Zinnemann wanted the Jackal to be played by someone anonymous and indistinct, so he cast the relatively unknown Edward Fox. He later admitted that may have led to the film's lack success in theaters.
The Liberation Day scenes were filmed at a real parade, with most spectators being unaware of a movie being shot. This caused a bit of confusion: many of the crowd mistook the arrests being filmed for real ones, and attempted to assist.
Due to producer Julien Derode's particularly adroit way of dealing with the authorities, director Fred Zinnemann was allowed virtually unprecedented access to many locations and events that would not normally be made available to filmmakers.
This movie features no soundtrack music after the first five minutes other than diegetic background music from marching bands, street musicians, and radios. Director Fred Zinnemann deliberately refused to use it on the grounds that soundtrack distracts the movement and tension generated.
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