Kelly’s Heroes (1970) is a beloved film among many fans, celebrated for its World War II setting. Based on the book by Ian Sayer and Douglas Botting, the film centers on a bold plan orchestrated by a group of maverick German and American officers to execute a heist. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized it in the 1960s as the “Biggest Robbery Ever.”
Here are some fascinating behind-the-scenes details about this iconic production.
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 filming in Yugoslavia, Donald Sutherland, playing Sgt. “Oddball,” fell ill with spinal meningitis. This strain, like others, can lead to death due to inflammation of the membranes around the spinal cord and brain.
Sutherland’s wife received a telegram urging her immediate journey to Yugoslavia, with the sobering message that her husband might not survive until her arrival. Fortunately, he pulled through and remains active in his acting career.
Things change during the editing process
Scenes get moved around all the time during the editing process; it’s only after filming that directors realize a certain part would fit better earlier or later on in the film. This was true for Kelly’s Heroes. Eagle-eyed viewers of the film will notice that, when going to visit Staff Sgt. “Crapgame,” Clint Eastwood‘s Pvt. Kelly brings him a bottle of whiskey. However, when he visits Don Rickles‘ character later on, he’s given the exact same bottle.
It’s likely these scenes were switched around during editing, with the initial intention likely being that the second one would occur earlier in the movie.
Using the sound of the Tiger tanks’ turrets in Aliens (1986)
Talk about making use of what you have! The noise made by the electric motors in the Tiger tanks’ turrets in Kelly’s Heroes was later adopted by the filmmakers behind Aliens (1986). They used the sound for the movement of the power lifters in the sci-fi movie.
Donald Sutherland’s wife was arrested for aiding the Black Panthers
During his time in Yugoslavia, Clint Eastwood told Donald Sutherland that Sutherland’s wife, Shirley, had been taken into custody for trying to purchase grenades for the Black Panthers, a far-left political group. She had attempted to make the purchase using a personal check, but the person she was negotiating with turned out to be an undercover FBI agent.
Sutherland recalls that when Eastwood mentioned the personal check, he burst into laughter so hard that he collapsed and needed help to stand up. Eastwood then assured his friend that he would fully support him in this situation.
Kelly’s Heroes pays tribute to a Clint Eastwood western film
During the middle part of his career, Clint Eastwood starred in several spaghetti westerns, among them The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). He’s a member of the main trio, which also consists of Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach. If you’re a fan of the film, then you might have noticed that Kelly’s Heroes references it.
The stand-off with the German Tiger tank is almost an exact remake of the ending to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Not only are the mannerisms the same, the film score is almost identical. On top of this, the sound team also dubbed the sound of jangles over the scene, but you can only hear them if you listen closely.
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 appeared in several films directed by John Landis, including National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978) and The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977). Despite their close relationship, their frequent collaborations have a unique origin story.
During the filming of Kelly’s Heroes, Landis told Sutherland of his ambition to transition from acting to directing. In response, the actor pledged to appear in all of Landis’ future movies, should this aspiration materialize. True to his word, Landis went on to direct several classics, such as Trading Places (1983), Coming to America (1988), The Blues Brothers (1980) and An American Werewolf In London (1981).
While Sutherland didn’t grace the screen in every Landis-directed movie, he did make cameos in 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
Famed actress Polish-English actress Ingrid Pitt was known for such films as Countess Dracula (1971), The Wicker Man (1973) and The House That Dripped Blood (1971). She also co-starred alongside Clint Eastwood in 1968’s Where Eagles Dare, and was slated to make an appearance in Kelly’s Heroes – that is, 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 were able to obtain WWII-era tanks, they weren’t so lucky when it came to 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 fly until 1955.
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.
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.
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