"Lulubelle" is an M3 Lee tank.
Bernard Nedell was tested for a leading part in this movie.
Last of the Comanches, made by the same studio about a decade later, was loosely based on this movie.
Louis Mercier plays a character in this movie called Jean Leroux but his dog tag in the movie CBCS and in reviews has the name Pierre Leroux.
A 'Hollywood Reporter' production report once stated Jess Barker; Bill Carter and Lewis Wilson being cast in this movie but none of them feature in the film's credits and they are either uncredited or do not appear in the film.
According to the 'Hollywood Reporter', this movies premiere was held at Camp Campbell (aka Fort Campbell) in Kentucky. This event was included as part of a program to celebrate the 1st Anniversary of the formation of the IV Armored Corps of the Army Ground Forces, United States Army.
According to the documentary Going Hollywood: The War Years, two months after Italy surrendered in World War II, this movie was released with an Italian as a principal character - and a good guy. This was J. Carrol Naish playing Giuseppe.
Based upon an incident in the Soviet film The Thirteen See: Trinadtsat directed by Mikhail Romm and made about six years prior to this movie.
During the production, cast and crew resided at the Planter's Hotel in Brawley, Imperial County, California. The hotel was located approximately forty miles from the location where the film was shooting.
Make-up artist Harry Pringle created the look of sweat and perspiration on the actors' faces by mixing Vaseline with water. According to 'Look' magazine, he would rub Vaseline on their faces then spray their faces with water.
The 'Hollywood Reporter' during mid January 1943 reported that Humphrey Bogart replaced Brian Donlevy for this Columbia Studios film whilst Donlevy in turn replaced Bogart on the same studio's Once Upon a Time. Donlevy was reportedly tired of appearing in war pictures and he doesn't actually appear in the credits for Once Upon a Time.
The film's dedication states: " . . . a film dedicated to the IV Armored Corps of the Army Ground Forces, United States Army, whose cooperation made it possible to tell this story."
The film's opening prologue states: "In June, 1942, a small detachment of American tanks with American crews, joined the British Eighth Army in North Africa to get experience in desert warfare under actual battle conditions. History as proved that they learned their lesson well - - ."
The German aircraft strafing the tank was actually an early P-51B.
The movie utilized real soldiers as background artists and extras. They had been situated close by to the production at Camp Young, California where they were in training.
The role of Sgt. Joe Gunn, played by Humphrey Bogart, was originally offered to Gary Cooper, who turned it down.
The Sahara desert in this movie was portrayed by the California desert's Borego Desert which is located in the Imperial Valley, north of the American-Mexican border as well as Brawley, Imperial County, California; Chatsworth, California and the sand dunes of Yuma, Arizona.
This movie originally was going to star Melvyn Douglas and Glenn Ford according to an edition of the 'Hollywood Reporter' in November 1942.
Two thousand tons of sand were transported to the filming set in order to create the feel of loose desert sand, so reported the 'New York Times'. The newspaper also reported that shadows were spray-painted on desert hills to make them be seen more clearly by the audience. Moreover, sand dune ripples were created by spray-painting the sand with light paint and then turning on a wind-machine.
Williams' poetry quote "...a book and verses underneath a bough, a jug of wine ... and thou ..." is from 'Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam' by Edward FitzGerald.