45 Secrets About The Dirty Dozen Fans Won’t Be Able To Wipe From Their Minds

“Just a dummy money-maker.” That was one of the harshest criticisms of The Dirty Dozen – but it didn’t come from the press. The line came from its leading man! Yes, even though Lee Marvin found The Dirty Dozen entertaining, he believed its story had little to do with the realities of war. The legendary actor, who played Major John Reisman, was much more satisfied with his later war film, The Big Red One.

Remember when Donald Sutherland’s Vernon L. Pinkley impersonates the troop-inspecting general? Of course you do. It’s one of the film’s most memorable moments! But did you know the impersonator was actually supposed to be Clint Walker’s Samson Posey? Sutherland was only chosen at the last minute by director Robert Aldrich because Walker said he couldn’t do the scene.

Footballer-turned-actor Jim Brown was still contracted to the Cleveland Browns when he took the role of Robert T. Jefferson. So when filming of The Dirty Dozen looked like it would delay his return to training, the NFL told Brown that he’d face suspension and a hefty financial punishment. Not appreciating the ultimatum, Brown informed the media that he’d be stepping away from the sport for good.

Art imitated life in at least one of The Dirty Dozen’s backstories. Charles Bronson’s Joseph Wladislaw reveals at one point that his dad used to work in the mines back in Poland. And the actor’s real father actually did the same job in his Lithuanian homeland. Bronson had first-hand experience of coal mining while growing up in Pennsylvania as well.

It’s hard to imagine Aldrich’s war movie being named anything other than The Dirty Dozen. It just trips off the tongue! But in a profile of leading man Marvin for the TCM network, it was revealed that the 1967 classic had a much wordier original title: Operation Dirty Dozen.

Marvin didn’t only draw upon his own experiences of World War II for his role of Major John Reisman. He also took inspiration from one of his real-life best friends. The Hollywood legend modeled his performance on John Miara, a Massachusetts native whom he’d once served alongside in the Marines.

During some downtime, Marvin went to a London party where he took advantage of the drinks on offer. He also made an inappropriate remark toward an older woman who just happened to be the aunt of Sean Connery. As the 007 star went to confront Marvin, The Dirty Dozen’s producer Kenneth Hyman begged Connery, “Don’t hit him in the face, Sean. He’s got his close-ups tomorrow.” This plea calmed the situation down, and Marvin’s face was left intact.

Hats off to you if you spotted this clever bit of sound trickery. The castle doorbell that’s quickly rung three times by Bronson and Marvin actually has some meaning to it. Its first four notes are borrowed from legendary German composer Beethoven’s famous “5th Symphony,” which was also used as an anthem by the Allies in World War II. The “da da da dah” pattern of the doorbell represents the letter “V” for victory in Morse code, too.

It’s fair to say that Aldrich wasn’t enamored with English production staff. In fact, the director was constantly frustrated by their failure to keep up with his quick shooting style. Yet the stars of The Dirty Dozen loved their stint on the other side of the Atlantic and regularly hit the streets of Swinging London.

More than half of The Dirty Dozen’s main cast members could draw upon their true-life experiences while filming. Telly Savalas, George Kennedy and Bronson all served in the Army during WWII. Ernest Borgnine also did time in the Navy, while Robert Ryan and Clint Walker were part of the Marines.

Aldrich wasn’t messing about when he ordered all cast members to swap their modern-day haircuts for something more realistic. Yet while Marvin duly obliged with a crew cut, his co-stars were far more reluctant to go old-school. They soon headed to the barbers when Aldrich informed them they’d face legal action otherwise, though!

The Dirty Dozen certainly has its fair share of continuity errors. In a driving scene, Bronson’s Wladislaw can be seen taking the wheel of a Jeep that seems to have no windshields. But when the angle changes from the front of the vehicle to the side, a pane of glass is suddenly in shot. D’oh!

One of the Western’s biggest stars, John Wayne, was initially lined up to play Major John Reisman. But the gun-slinging actor didn’t approve of his character getting involved with a lady who was already married to a soldier. Luckily, Marvin didn’t have such reservations and happily accepted the part instead.

In 1998 four of The Dirty Dozen’s main cast members worked together again on the children’s action movie Small Soldiers. But Borgnine, Brown, Walker and Kennedy didn’t actually show up on screen. That’s right: the legendary actors were instead hired to provide voices for the animated title characters. They even said some of their famous lines!

Marvin sure seemed to cause his fair share of havoc during filming. After failing to show for a particular scene, the acting legend was discovered worse for wear by co-star Bronson in a London bar. And despite copious amounts of coffee, Marvin still couldn’t sober up. Marvin then tumbled from their vehicle when they arrived back on the set, and a frustrated Bronson allegedly threatened to kill him.

Despite the amount of responsibility on his shoulders, director Aldrich still found time to have a little fun on set. While organizing the scene involving the first inspection, the filmmaker positioned the 5 feet 9 inches Bronson next to Walker and Sutherland, both of whom stood over 6 feet 4 inches tall. Apparently, Aldrich then spent several minutes secretly laughing at Bronson’s unsettled response.

You might find this particularly hard to believe. But apparently the man who built a career out of playing vengeful tough guys in films such as Death Wish thought The Dirty Dozen contained way too much brutality. In fact, Bronson was so unsettled by all the blood on show that he left a screening halfway through.

The Dirty Dozen’s script came from Oscar-nominated writer Nunnally Johnson. But the cast who helped transfer his words to the screen were still allowed to improvise once in a while. Take Borgnine, for example. On learning about the soldiers’ antics, his General Worden almost chokes in anger – a moment that was entirely unscripted.

You might not know that The Dirty Dozen continued their adventures in several 1980s TV and movie spinoffs. In 1985 Borgnine, Marvin and Richard Jaeckel all resumed their roles in Next Mission. Then two years later Savalas played a different part, Major Wright, in The Deadly Mission. He and Borgnine also returned for 1988’s The Fatal Mission. There was even a short-lived TV series that same year, though this featured an entirely different cast.

Being a Cleveland Browns superstar certainly had its advantages for Brown as he tried to forge an acting career. His character, Jefferson, was originally supposed to have much less screen time. But NFL fan Aldrich was so excited about having a sporting great in his cast that he extended the role.

The fake chateau that’d been built for The Dirty Dozen was supposed to be destroyed. But its builders had done such a good job that exploding the structure would’ve taken roughly 70 tons of dynamite. So quick-thinking designers had to use much flimsier materials such as plastic and cork to recreate a part of the building for the scene in question. Boom!

The dirty dozen make their way to the test site in red armbands after learning they’ll be pitted against the Red forces led by Colonel Breed in training. These are then changed to blue on arrival. But the dozen should never have sported red armbands in the first place, as this would only have alerted the enemy to the fact they had some in their possession.

Either John Cassavetes’ Franko is a gifted ventriloquist or the sound editing team made a bit of a faux pas during one scene. In the movie, you see, the ex-criminal utters the sarcastic line, “Three wise men, trust the major,” after Wladislaw suffers a beating. But the words he says don’t match the shapes his mouth makes. Strange!

Trini Lopez was one of the era’s most notable crooners. And as shooting for The Dirty Dozen failed to finish on time, some believed this prolonged time out of the studio could hurt his musical career. According to some reports, Frank Sinatra told Lopez to abandon his role of Jimenez and get back to the day job. Another rumor about the singer’s exit is that his agent failed to secure a pay rise. Either way, Lopez’s character was abruptly killed off instead of helping to save the day.

Before they head into their final mission, the 12 main characters can be seen tucking into some food in the guards’ quarters. They’re all positioned on one table side, facing away from the wall, which reminded some viewers of a famous painting. Yes, this particular scene’s said to be an homage to Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper.

If you happen to be watching the Spanish dubbing of The Dirty Dozen, you might notice that Cassavetes’ character has a different name. While he’s called Franko in the original, viewers in Spain will know him as Franchi. Producers had to rechristen the part due to its similarity to Francisco Franco, the dictator who was ruling the country on the film’s 1967 release.

Portrayed by Lopez, Jimenez appeared to have taken a dodgy guitar with him to entertain the rest of the dozen. Just after the hour mark, he treats everyone to a rendition of The Bramble Bush on the six-string. But in one shot his hand’s clearly seen playing the instrument – and yet no music can be heard.

The Dirty Dozen’s cast were graced by the presence of boxing greatness during filming. Muhammad Ali was a pal of Brown’s and was nearby at the time due to his fight with Brian London. The sporting icon headed down to the shoot during a break in training and posed alongside the actors for snaps.

Few war movies have a cast as stacked as The Dirty Dozen, particularly when it comes to Oscars recognition. Ryan, Savalas, Jaeckel and Cassavetes each have at least one Academy Award nomination to their name. And Borgnine, Kennedy and Marvin all got the chance to make an acceptance speech at the film industry’s biggest ceremony.

Hollywood’s renowned for casting actors who are way too old for their parts when it comes to high school movies. But The Dirty Dozen proved that even in war films, age isn’t a barrier to a meaty role. Marvin, Bronson and the majority of their fellow military men were in their 40s when they were chosen to play much younger characters.

Aldrich may have picked up a Best Director Oscar nod had he taken advice about a certain scene. The filmmaker was informed that his award chances would be greatly improved if he removed the controversial moment when Brown tosses hand grenades in the Germans’ bunker. But Aldrich decided to ignore this request in order to ensure that his “war is hell” message was properly understood.

The Dirty Dozen is based on E. M. Nathanson’s book of the same name, which hit bookstores just two years before shooting began. But the mission that’s the crux of the movie barely features in the source material. You actually have to wait until the very end of the book to read anything about it.

Aldrich may have been hell-bent on making sure his male cast’s haircuts were suited to the time period. But he was much more lax when it came to the women’s. Both the fashions and the hairstyles seen in the ball scenes belong the late 1960s era. This, of course, is more than two decades after The Dirty Dozen’s World War II setting.

Several characters’ fates aren’t explicitly shown, but we can still deduce what happened to them. For example, the roof explosion suggests that Gilpin gave his life to ensure the antenna was destroyed. But those wondering what happened to Posey will just have to use their imaginations. He vanishes towards the end of the film for no apparent reason.

There might not have been a real-life dirty dozen, but apparently there was a military gang dubbed The Filthy Thirteen. Some believe that Nathanson, who wrote the novel, was inspired by this particular bunch of World War II paratroopers. And if you’re wondering what was so filthy about them, well, they rarely shaved or washed during their D-Day preparations.

Sutherland was only cast just before shooting began, after the first choice pulled out over fears the film may harm his career. The father of Hollywood star Kiefer certainly made the most of the opportunity. According to reports, the sequence in which Sutherland impersonates a general is said to have led to his star-making role in M*A*S*H.

Marvin not only took on leading man duties, but he also helped to ensure that the props and clothes were as authentic as possible. The actor had served in World War II for real and put his first-hand experiences to use. Marvin was so committed to maintaining accuracy that he’d argue with director Aldrich on set. And this really came to a head during the scene in which Posey and Reisman grapple over the former’s bayonet, which Marvin thought was especially implausible.

The Dirty Dozen could never be accused of shying away from the atrocities carried out by the Allies during World War II. It was one of the first major studio films to feature troops from the U.S. engaging in acts that could be regarded as war crimes. One example was a hand grenade being lobbed into a German bunker containing civilians.

Remember the scene when Marvin’s Major Reisman and Ralph Meeker’s Captain Stuart Kinder are deep in conversation about the dozen? Well, in one shot a canteen that certainly wasn’t there before mysteriously pops up out of nowhere. During that same discussion, the whiskey glasses also move around of their own accord, too.

MGM Studios had confirmed it’d be making The Dirty Dozen back in 1964. And it originally had another director in mind. Before Aldrich came into the frame, George Seaton was reportedly the number one choice. The latter’s resume didn’t exactly fit the war movie mold, though – Seaton’s biggest hit had been the cuddly festive movie Miracle on 34th Street.

The Dirty Dozen proved to be MGM's most profitable movie of 1967, earning over $45 million in the United States and millions more worldwide. Besides being an action masterpiece, there was another reason why audiences flocked to the theaters to see it...

In 1967, the United States was nearing the height of the Vietnam War. You might think that'd deter viewers from a World War II flick, but The Dirty Dozen actually spoke to the changing ideals of the times. With his unromantic characters and subversive take on military authority, director Robert Aldrich meant for the movie to parallel the conflict in Vietnam.

Legendary actor Jack Palance had his shot at joining the cast of The Dirty Dozen. He was originally offered the part of Archer Maggott, and while Palance was interested, the character's racist tendencies turned him off. The filmmakers were unwilling to budge, so they cast Telly Savalas instead.

Many movies in the 1960s still followed the old-fashioned format of putting the opening credits right at the beginning of the film. Aldrich took another route. He kicked off the action right away and pushed back the credits — until roughly 12 minutes into the film.

Despite the blockbuster's success and the cast's considerable star power, only one actor landed an Oscar nomination. John Cassavetes got the nod for Best Supporting Actor, but he fell short against Cool Hand Luke's George Kennedy.

And if you love The Dirty Dozen, we just know you like Kelly’s Heroes, too! You’ve got Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland, Telly Savalas and Don Rickles all in their pomp. There’s comedy. There’s action. There’s drama. There’s even a bank robbery behind enemy lines during World War II! Seriously, it could be one of the greatest movies of all time. Yet many strange things happened behind the scenes of the beloved flick – and fans are only just finding out about them now...

You’d think Kelly’s Heroes would have been shot somewhere in France, Italy or Poland. After all, it’s a World War II movie set in Europe. But you’d be wrong. The movie was actually predominantly filmed in a nation that no longer exists. Namely, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

So why was the socialist state in southeastern Europe chosen for the filming of the movie? Well, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, because the nation’s army still possessed a sizable number of Sherman tanks. This was handy – as they were needed for the shoot. Perhaps more importantly, though, there was the motive of money. In Yugoslavia, movie studios could not, by law, take profits from other movie screenings out of the Federal Republic – but that cash could be used as funds for this production.

American soldiers go behind enemy lines in Europe to rob a bank during World War II. Sounds a bit far-fetched, right? Well, as a matter of fact, it isn’t. Kelly’s Heroes is actually based – quite loosely, it has to be said – on a true story. The yarn was told in the book Nazi Gold: The Sensational Story of the World’s Greatest Robbery – and the Greatest Criminal Cover-Up.

That book – written by Douglas Botting and Ian Sayer – is about the theft of the Reichsbank’s gold. It’s estimated that it’d added up to an eye-watering $2.5 billion. This gold was moved on trains away from Berlin as the Allies closed in at the end of WWII. But then it was stolen. There followed a cover-up of Watergate-esque proportions as investigators discovered a grim world of corruption, racketeering and gangs.

There’s no denying that the Reichsbank heist was a really big deal. It was a large-scale crime with a monumental cover-up afterward. The investigators were obstructed at every turn – simply because there was an astonishing amount of gold and other valuables at stake. And when we say “astonishing,” we really mean astonishing!

In the 1960s, the robbery earned a special place in history: one that made it boldly stand out from the rest of its ilk. Yes, the heist that inspired the motion picture Kelly’s Heroes was listed as the “biggest” robbery ever in the Guinness Book of Records. That’s quite a feat, right?

Of all the actors in the star-studded ensemble cast of Kelly’s Heroes, one particular name arguably shines a little bit brighter than the others. That name is Clint Eastwood. Now a Hollywood icon, he was already a movie megastar thanks to such classics as A Fistful of Dollars, Where Eagles Dare and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.

Yet Eastwood’s star turn as Kelly almost didn’t happen. The iconic actor only agreed to make the movie on the condition that his close pal and chief creative partner Don Siegel would be at the helm. But the director, who was at the time wrapping up the film Two Mules for Sister Sara, suddenly found himself dealing with a host of post-production headaches. So Siegel had to bow out, and Brian G. Hutton was chosen as his replacement. Luckily, Eastwood had already signed on the dotted line and couldn’t quit.

Although Eastwood was signed up with no real way of dropping out, the actor wasn’t entirely content about the whole project. No, the iconic star of Sergio Leone’s most famous Spaghetti Westerns was not a happy bunny. And there was something in particular about Kelly’s Heroes that really annoyed him.

The gruff Hollywood star hated the way the studio edited the film. Eastwood felt that many of the filmed-but-cut scenes provided more character and philosophical depth and would have ultimately made Kelly’s Heroes a superior movie to the one that was released. He told French film magazine Positif in 1985,: “It was [originally] a very fine anti-militaristic script, one that said some important things about the war, about this propensity that man has to destroy himself.”

As those who have seen it will surely know, Kelly’s Heroes was supposed to be an adventure comedy film. Sure, several bits in it documented the horrors of war, but ultimately it was meant to be a family-friendly caper. But then a producer came in and sort of spoiled the fun.

Spoiler alert: about 70 minutes into the movie, three of the greedy U.S. servicemen – Corporal Job, Private Grace and Private Mitchell – are killed in action. Two of them perish by way of German gunfire, while the other is slain by an exploding mine. Sutherland was unhappy, later saying, “Nobody died. At least they didn’t die in the original script, but then some idiot producer […] insisted that there had to be deaths. Brian [G. Hutton] fought it, didn’t want it, but money shouted so Brian ended up giving him a minefield.”

Sutherland did not have much luck on the set of Kelly’s Heroes. During filming in Yugoslavia, poor Don suddenly became gravely ill with spinal meningitis. Things got so bad that his then-wife, Shirley Douglas, was sent a telegram that told her to come to the far-away European state immediately. It also warned that it was likely Sutherland would die before she arrived. Yikes.

The actor later recalled his frightening experience to the Irish Examiner. He revealed, “I got sick in the middle of shooting… I came to Yugoslavia for a day’s filming, and I was out for six weeks. They took me to hospital. I had spinal meningitis. They didn’t have the antibiotics, so I went into a coma, and they tell me that for a few seconds, I died. I saw the blue tunnel, and I started going down it. I saw the white light. [But] I dug my feet in.”

Thankfully, Sutherland made a full recovery from his scary bout of spinal meningitis. But it would not be the only headache, so to speak, that he would have to deal with on set in Yugoslavia. So, what else did the poor Canadian have to put up with?

Well, the actor would be informed, via Eastwood, that his wife had been busted attempting to purchase hand grenades for the militant group the Black Panthers. Douglas – herself an actress and the daughter of prominent Canadian politician Tommy – was caught out by an undercover FBI agent. Apparently, Eastwood burst into laughter when telling Sutherland about her personal check. Some friend you are, Clint!

Right at the start of the film, there is a scene in which Telly Savalas’ Big Joe is trying to figure out where it’s best to stay in Nancy, France. Curiously, Joe is using a Michelin tourist guide book to locate such a place in the city, which lies in the northwest of the country. Peculiar, yes, but factually accurate. Allied troops definitely used these books during WWII.

Believe it or not, when the Normandy invasion was being devised, staff officers raised concerns about how troops would navigate if the withdrawing Nazis reversed or removed the road signs. So the American government secretly reprinted the most recent Michelin guide from 1939. So when storming the beaches on June 6, 1944, Allied forces clutched the handy books. They proved valuable for the rest of the conflict, too.

Kelly’s Heroes is well known for its band of brothers, who turn their attention away from the war to looting a significant amount of gold. Besides Eastwood, Sutherland, Savalas and Rickles, the likes of Carroll O’Connor, Gavin MacLeod, Stuart Margolin and Harry Dean Stanton also star. But did you know there may well have been a sister in there with the brothers?

Well, it’s true. Ingrid Pitt, who had appeared in Where Eagles Dare with Eastwood shortly beforehand, was going to be cast in the movie. But before filming had even started, her role was slashed from the screenplay. Poor Pitt later disclosed how she was “virtually climbing on board the plane bound for Yugoslavia when word came through that [her] part had been cut.” How cruel!

Fans of Kelly’s Heroes will no doubt remember with fondness the German Tiger tank commander. Expertly portrayed by German boxer-turned-actor Karl-Otto Alberty, he has a memorable confrontation with the band of brothers. Nonetheless, the character appears to be something of a parody. But of whom, exactly?

Well, eagle-eyed viewers and avid movie watchers may have noticed that Alberty’s Tiger tank commander is very similar to a certain character from another movie: the German Lieutenant Christian Diestl in the 1958 film The Young Lions. Yes, the Marlon Brando-portrayed Nazi is uncannily similar in both his Aryan appearance and particular manner of speaking.

The Young Lions is not the only pop culture reference stuffed into Kelly’s Heroes. Yep, the flick contains more knowing winks and tips of the hat – including one to a popular TV series of the era. So which show was it, and how did the filmmakers squeeze it in?

The TV series in question was the similarly titled Hogan’s Heroes. The World War II-based sitcom, set in a Prisoner of War camp, aired from 1965 until 1971. There were a whopping 168 episodes of the popular show across six seasons. And in Kelly’s Heroes the Rickles-portrayed Crapgame dials up a “Hogan in Intelligence.” This is a sly nod to the show’s titular character, Colonel Robert Hogan, who masterminded a covert intelligence network out of Stalag 13.

Have you seen Kelly’s Heroes? I’m guessing if you’re still reading this article that you have. Well, remember when the movie’s lead actor, Clint Eastwood, belts out a song? Yeah? Not a bad set of pipes, that Mr. Eastwood. Granted, he’s no Ariana Grande or Jeff Buckley in the vocal department, but he can sure hold a tune. But what about that song?

The song Eastwood was singing is called “Burning Bridges,” and it served as the theme tune for the movie. The main version was performed by The Mike Curb Congregation. The interesting thing, though, is that a single was created out of the actor’s effort, which was released by Certron Records. Produced by Allen Reynolds and Dickey Lee, the record also featured a B-side entitled “When I Loved Her,” a Kris Kristofferson number also sung by Clint.

It was fairly well concealed and probably only picked up on by fans of one particular sport: golf. You see, in that popular pastime, there is such a thing as a “mulligan.” It is the chance to ditch and re-play a bad shot. And in Kelly’s Heroes, Sergeant Mulligan is notable for his inaccuracy – and continually slammed for it.

Earlier on we talked about Donald Sutherland’s considerable trials and tribulations during the filming of Kelly’s Heroes. They included his then-wife being arrested by the FBI for trying to buy hand grenades for the Black Panthers. And oh, you know, very nearly succumbing to spinal meningitis. To the extent that he could even see the light at the end of the tunnel.

So you might think that Sutherland utterly hated his time filming Kelly’s Heroes. You’d be wrong. Don loved it. He later remarked, “I thought it was a terrific script. Oddball took over my life. He inhabited me… I was in love with my Sherman tank.” On his beloved character, the Canadian added, “I liked everything… He was exactly who he was, and he carried me with him all the way through the six months of shooting.”

Sutherland wasn’t alone in having a blast during the filming of Kelly’s Heroes. No, the actors all seemed to get on well and had a lot of fun together. Don’t know about you, but that’s kind of heartwarming to know – that it was a laugh and no major egos were flying.

Sutherland would later confirm that it was genuine fun to be a part of that group. He revealed to the Military Times in 2020, “We had little campers out in a field near each location. Clint’s had a sign on it, ‘Clint Eastwood: Private.’ Don Rickles’ was right next to Clint’s and it had a sign on it saying, ‘Don Rickles – Mr. Friendly – Everybody welcome.’” He concluded, “That’s what it was like 24/7.” How cool.

Exceptionally eagle-eyed viewers of Kelly’s Heroes might have just caught sight of a familiar face. Especially if they were watching the movie several years after its 1970 release. Yes, in a scene where some nuns are shown, a soon-to-be-famous man can be seen. That particular male in drag as Sister Rosa Stigmata is the director and actor John Landis.

The uncredited extra was a relative nobody during the time of shooting. But Landis was convinced that he would one day make it as a film director. He was so confident he would even incessantly tell Sutherland so. The Canadian offered to appear in his movies if he ever reached his goal. And, spoiler alert, he did. Awesomely, the Don performed in Landis’ flicks The Kentucky Fried Movie, National Lampoon’s Animal House and even upon a billboard in The Blues Brothers.

In Kelly’s Heroes, the titular character and his band of badly behaved brothers eventually pinch gold totaling $12 million. During the second major global conflict, gold was valued at $35 per troy ounce. As of today, the luxurious metal is worth about $1,000 per ounce – which is a little over 28 times as much.

This put the value of the gang’s gold somewhere between $360 to $400 million. Then try adjusting for inflation – assuming that the errant soldiers were able to retain the gold bars until now. The total value in today’s money would be, roughly speaking, between $2 billion and $2.5 billion. Not bad, huh? An even 12-way split between the crooks would give each a cool $200 million.

Eastwood was disappointed with the fact that numerous scenes were cut from the movie. But what was cut, and just how different would Kelly’s Heroes have been? Well, two particular deleted parts included some nudity, which may be why they were chopped. One sees the platoon encountering a group of Nazi soldiers while girls enjoy a skinny dip in a pool. Another has Oddball and company going across lines to a local village, where women run around semi-nude.

What else was slashed from the motion picture? Well, there was a notable scene where Kelly and Big Joe talk in the barn about their disenchantment with the war. Eastwood’s character also laments how he was, in his opinion, scapegoated for the botched hill attack that saw him demoted. This sequence is likely what the Hollywood icon was referring to in particular when he bemoaned how the film could have been better.

In the 1990s, some 20-or-so years on from the release of Kelly’s Heroes, Swedish superfans of the film decided to embark on an ambitious project. They were going to build a lifelike model of the small village in which the famous robbery occurs, no less.

The Swedes were clearly sticklers for accuracy. They would travel to Vižinada, in modern-day Croatia, to properly size up and emulate the village as best they could for their 1/72-scale model. Clearly, they also had some money to spend, as they hired a plane and a pilot to take aerial images of the scene of the robbery. But their escapades alerted Croatian authorities, who mistook them for spies and detained them for hours. Where was Google Maps when you needed it?