Kelly’s Heroes (1970) is often celebrated for its portrayal of World War II. Based on Ian Sayer and Douglas Botting’s book, the film follows a daring heist planned by a group of both German and American officers. Remarkably, this heist was even acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as thee “Biggest Robbery Ever.”
Discover some intriguing behind-the-scenes details about this iconic film.
The only reason Clint Eastwood signed on for Kelly’s Heroes
Clint Eastwood only signed on to appear in the film because his friend, Don Siegel, was supposed to direct it. However, the director ran into post-production issues while finishing up work on 1970’s Two Mules for Sister Sara and had to withdraw.
Following Siegel’s departure, Brian G. Hutton signed on to direct Kelly’s Heroes. Eastwood, who’d already signed a contract to appear in the film, couldn’t pull out.
The man behind “Burning Bridges” held another important role
Mike Curb, the lyricist behind “Burning Bridges,” wasn’t just a famed musician and composer. He also served as the lieutenant governor of California between 1978-82, and as of 2023 is the last Republican to have served in the role.
Background of Kelly’s Heroes (1970)
In 1945, as Allied bombers continued to pound Berlin, the Germans began moving assets south, for safekeeping; vast trainloads of gold and currency were evacuated from the country’s capital. It’s a mystifying story and one that caught the attention of Sayer and Botting. At the time of the original investigation, the fabulous treasure was estimated to be worth around $2,500,000,000.
It’s also a story of an attempted whitewash in a US scandal that predated Richard Nixon and Watergate by nearly three decades. Investigators were impeded every strep of the way as they struggled to uncover the truth, and they were left fearing for their lives.
The authors’ quest led them into a murky, dangerous post-war world of racketeering, corruption and gang warfare. Their brilliant reporting, matching eyewitness testimonies and declassified top-secret documents from the American archives lay bare this monumental crime in a narrative throng with SS desperadoes, a red-headed queen of crime and US military governors living like kings. Also revealed is the authors’ discovery of some of the missing treasure in the Bank of England.
Now, let’s take a look at some bizarre trivia from the fantastic film that is Kelly’s Heroes.
Donal Sutherland nearly lost his life while filming
During the filming in Yugoslavia, Donald Sutherland, who was playing Sgt. “Oddball,” contracted spinal meningitis. This particular strain, similar to others, posed a serious risk of death due to the inflammation of the membranes around the spinal cord and brain.
His wife was urgently called to Yugoslavia through a telegram, with a dire warning that her husband might not make it before she arrived. Fortunately, Sutherland fought through the illness and has since continued his acting career.
Things change during the editing process
Scenes frequently get rearranged during editing, as directors recognize that some parts might work better if placed earlier or later in the film. This was true for Kelly’s Heroes. Keen-eyed viewers might observe that when Clint Eastwood‘s Pvt. Kelly visits Staff Sgt. “Crapgame,” he brings a bottle of whiskey. Later, when Kelly meets Don Rickles‘ character, he receives the very same bottle.
It’s likely these scenes were exchanged during editing, implying that the original intention might have been for the second scene to appear earlier in the movie.
Using the sound of the Tiger tanks’ turrets in Aliens (1986)
Check out how resourceful this is! The sound produced by the electric motors in the turrets of Tiger tanks in Kelly’s Heroes was later repurposed by the filmmakers of Aliens (1986). They incorporated this sound to depict the movement of the power lifters in the sci-fi film.
Donald Sutherland’s wife was arrested for aiding the Black Panthers
While in Yugoslavia, Clint Eastwood informed Donald Sutherland that Sutherland’s wife, Shirley, had been arrested for attempting to buy grenades for the Black Panthers, a radical leftist organization. Her attempt to pay with a personal check backfired when the supposed seller revealed himself as an undercover FBI agent.
Sutherland remembers Eastwood laughing uproariously at the mention of the personal check, so much so that he doubled over and required assistance to regain his composure. Eastwood then reassured his friend of his unwavering support during this ordeal.
Kelly’s Heroes pays tribute to a Clint Eastwood western film
In the middle of his career, Clint Eastwood appeared in a number of spaghetti westerns, including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). He is part of the central trio, alongside Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach. If you’re a fan of the film, you might have spotted a nod to it in Kelly’s Heroes.
The showdown with the German Tiger tank closely resembles the climax of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The gestures are strikingly similar, and the soundtrack is almost the same. Furthermore, the sound team added jangle sounds to the scene, which become noticeable if you listen attentively.
The Yugoslavian Army’s fleet of M4 Shermans
Those aware of Kelly Heroes‘ production know the film was largely filmed in Yugoslavia – but have you ever wondered why? It’s because the Yugoslavian Army had a large quantity of M4 Shermans at the time, meaning they could feature the armored vehicles in the movie.
The Tiger tanks in Kelly’s Heroes were actually Russian T-34s
The Tiger tanks featured in Kelly’s Heroes weren’t actually German tanks. They were Russian T-34s that had been modified to look like Tigers. You can see this when you look at their suspension. The T-34s feature a modified Christie suspension, while the Tigers’ wheels were more elaborate.
Donald Sutherland teamed up with John Landis in future films
Donald Sutherland has featured in numerous films helmed by John Landis, including National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978) and The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977). Despite their close bond, the story behind their frequent collaborations is quite unique.
While working on Kelly’s Heroes, Landis shared his dream of shifting from acting to directing. In response, Sutherland committed to appearing in all of Landis’ future films if this dream came to fruition. Landis indeed went on to direct several iconic movies, such as Trading Places (1983), Coming to America (1988), The Blues Brothers (1980) and An American Werewolf In London (1981).
Although Sutherland didn’t appear in every Landis-directed film, he did have cameos in quite a few.
A parody of Marlon Brando
Even though Marlon Brando doesn’t feature in the film, doesn’t mean he doesn’t make an appearance… Sort of. The German tank commander played by Karl-Otto Alberty is actually a parody of Brando’s character in 1958’s The Young Lions, Lt. Christian Diestl.
Clint Eastwood, the musician
A vinyl was recorded of Clint Eastwood singing the theme song for Kelly’s Heroes, titled “Burning Bridges.” It was released by Certron Records on a 45-RPM disc. It also featured a B-side – “When I Loved Her” – which was written by Kris Kristofferson and, again, sung by Eastwood!
Ingrid Pitt almost had a role in Kelly’s Heroes
Renowned Polish-English actress Ingrid Pitt was known for her roles in films such as Countess Dracula (1971), The Wicker Man (1973) and The House That Dripped Blood (1971). She also co-starred with Clint Eastwood in Where Eagles Dare (1968) and was set to appear in Kelly’s Heroes, until her part was unexpectedly cut.
According to Pitt, she was to play the lone female role in the movie and was “virtually climbing on board the plane bound for Yugoslavia when word came that my part had been cut.”
What does the blue “crosshair” patch mean?
The blue “crosshair” shoulder patch worn by Pvt. Kelly and his men actually indicates they’re members of the 35th Infantry Division, a section of the US Army National Guard (AMG) that was called into federal service during the Second World War.
The infantry division is comprised of Guardsmen from Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska.
A play on words… Or names
First Sgt. Mulligan, portrayed by George Savalas, is known for his inaccuracies – and there’s a reason for that! In the golf world, a “mulligan” is known as a do-over, meaning a chance to repeat a poor shot. What a clever play on words by the filmmakers!
Who was John Landis in Kelly’s Heroes?
Famed Hollywood filmmaker John Landis served as a production assistant on Kelly’s Heroes, but did you know he also made a cameo in the film? If you look closely enough, you’ll see he’s one of the three nuns.
There’s an error in the aircraft featured
While the filmmakers managed to secure WWII-era tanks, they weren’t as fortunate with the aircraft. The American fighter that attacks Pvt. Kelly’s group is actually a Soko 522, a two-seater Yugoslav military trainer that didn’t take to the skies until 1955.
Sgt. Oddball carries the wrong sidearm
Throughout Kelly’s Heroes, you’ll notice Sgt. Oddball carries a Luger P08 “Parabellum semiautomatic pistol, despite the weapon only being in service in Switzerland and Germany. An American serviceman wouldn’t have had such a weapon assigned to him.
Kelly’s Heroes wasn’t always titled as such
Prior to Kelly’s Heroes hitting theaters, it underwent a number of changes. Approximately 20 minutes of footage was cut by MGM studio boos James T. Aubrey, and the movie was even renamed, with the original title being The Warriors. In post-production, it was retitled Kelly’s Warriors, before the decision was ultimately made to go with Kelly’s Heroes.
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In later interviews, Clint Eastwood revealed how disappointed he was in how the film was recut, as many of the deleted scenes gave the characters much more depth. Some were still shown on promotional stills and were described by the cast and crew in Cinema Retro‘s special edition article about Kelly’s Heroes.