Trivia

Sir Dirk Bogarde's portrayal of General Browning was highly controversial, and several friends of the late General suggested that, had Browning still been alive in 1977, he would have sued director Sir Richard Attenborough and screenwriter William Goldman for libel. Bogarde took issue with the portrayal during filming, having known Browning personally, as he was a member of Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery's staff during the war. Bogarde was upset by the personal criticism he received following the release of the film, especially as he had not been involved in the writing of the script. Although Attenborough publicly took responsibility for the controversy, his relationship with Bogarde was never the same again. Browning's son said he believed his father was made the fall guy for the failure of Operation Market Garden in the film because the producers knew there would have been too much flak if they went after Montgomery.

During World War II, Sir Dirk Bogarde, who played Lieutenant General Browning, served in intelligence with the British Army. He, and eight other intelligence officers, were sent to Arnhem by General Bernard L. Montgomery during the battle.

Sir Michael Caine's scripted line to order the column of tanks and armored cars into battle, was "Forward, go, charge." Luckily for Caine, Lieutenant Colonel J.O.E. Vandeleur was on the set, so he could ask him what the actual line was. Vandeleur told him, "I just said quietly into the microphone, 'Well, get a move on, then,'" which is what Caine says in the movie.

Sir Michael Caine claims that director Sir Richard Attenborough did not tell him that a string of dummy tanks behind the scout car which Caine was riding in would be blown up so that Caine would look realistically startled during the shot.

This was the first war movie in which actors were put through boot camp prior to filming. Sir Richard Attenborough put many of the extras and soldiers through a mini boot camp, and had them housed in a barrack accommodation during filming.

Richard Attenborough: One of the lunatics wearing glasses watching the soldiers. This was his only acting role in one of the films that he directed.