Kelly’s Heroes (1970) holds a special place as one of the most cherished World War II-era films to grace the silver screen. Derived from the acclaimed book by Ian Sayer and Douglas Botting, it depicts a daring heist by rebellious German and American officers. The Guinness Book of World Records has since acknowledged it as the “Biggest Robbery Ever.”
The following are some behind-the-scenes facts fans may not know about this iconic film.
Background of Kelly’s Heroes (1970)
In 1945, with Allied bombers relentlessly pounding Berlin, the Germans initiated a strategic relocation of assets to the south for safekeeping. This involved the evacuation of vast trainloads carrying gold and currency from the country’s capital. The tale is steeped in mystery, capturing the fascination of Sayer and Botting.
During the original investigation, the estimated value of this incredible treasure stood at around $2.5 billion. Moreover, it unfolds as a narrative of an attempted cover-up in a US scandal that predates Richard Nixon and Watergate by nearly three decades. Every step of the investigation into the monumental crime proved arduous, with investigators facing obstruction and even fearing for their lives.
The authors’ pursuit led them into the murky and perilous post-war realm of racketeering, corruption and gang warfare. Their reporting, weaving together eyewitness testimonies and declassified top-secret documents from the American archives, lays bare the magnitude of this crime. The narrative is rife with SS desperadoes, a red-headed queen of crime and US military governors living in opulence. The authors also uncovered the missing treasure in the Bank of England.
Now, let’s delve into some peculiar trivia from the extraordinary film that is Kelly’s Heroes.
Donal Sutherland nearly lost his life while filming
While filming in Yugoslavia, Donald Sutherland, who plays Sgt. “Oddball,” fell ill with spinal meningitis. This particular form, like its counterparts, can be fatal, leading to inflammation of the fluid and membranes surrounding the spinal cord and brain.
A telegram was sent to Sutherland’s wife, urgently instructing her to travel to Yugoslavia with the ominous message her husband might not survive until her arrival. Fortunately, he not only survived the infection, but he has also went on to enjoy a successful 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
While in Yugoslavia, Clint Eastwood informed Donald Sutherland that his wife, Shirley, had been arrested for attempting to buy grenades for the Black Panthers, a far-left political organization. She’d attempted to do so with a personal cheque, and it turned out the person she was dealing with was actually an undercover FBI agent.
According to Sutherland, when Eastwood got to the part about the personal cheque, he was laughing so hard that he collapsed and had to be helped up. He then assured his friend that he would completely support him in his predicament.
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 John Landis-directed features, such as National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978) and The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977). While the two are close, there’s actually a reason for them having teamed up so much.
While on the set of Kelly’s Heroes, Landis told Sutherland that he’d one day be directing movies, as opposed to acting in them. Sutherland told his friend that he’d star in all his films, should this come true. Well, it did, and Landis went on to direct a number of classics, including Trading Places (1983), Coming to America (1988), The Blues Brothers (1980) and An American Werewolf In London (1981).
While Sutherland didn’t appear in every movie Landis directed, 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.