The first time Clint Eastwood directed one of his Westerns.

The film came in under budget and two days ahead of schedule. Clint Eastwood is famous for being an extremely efficient director.

Shortly after the film's release, Clint Eastwood wrote to John Wayne, suggesting that they make a western together.
Wayne sent back an angry letter in reply, in which he denounced this film for its violence and revisionist portrayal of the Old West.
Eastwood did not bother to answer his criticisms, and consequently they did not work together.

Other headstones bear the names of Don Siegel (Clint Eastwood's director on five films, four of which preceded this one) and Brian G. Hutton (director of Where Eagles Dare (1968)
and Kelly's Heroes (1970)). Patrick McGilligan's 2002 Eastwood biography quotes the star as saying, "I buried my directors."

Billy Curtis got a stiff neck from working with Clint Eastwood, but he said it was worth it to play such a wonderful part.

During an interview on Inside the Actors Studio (1994), Clint Eastwood commented that earlier versions of the sсript made The Stranger the dead marshal's brother.
He favoured a less explicit and more supernatural interpretation and excised the reference. Although the Italian, Spanish, French and German dubbings retain it.