Trivia: Geraldine Chaplin, the actress who plays Dr. Zhivago's wife, is the daughter of the silent film actor, Charlie Chaplin. Her maternal grandfather was famed playwright Eugene O'Neill.
Trivia: Robert Shaw's character is based on Kampfgruppe Jochim Peiper of 1st SS Leibstandart Adolph Hitler, Panzer Division. Peiper was a ruthless but extremely effective officer who had learnt his trade in death on the Russian front. Peiper survived the battle and the war and although he was initially sentenced to death for his part in the Malmedy massacre his sentence was commuted. He was killed in France in 1976 when his house was firebombed in a revenge attack.
Trivia: The ship used for the exterior close-up scenes was the Royal Navy frigate HMS Wizard. Some of the crew were used as extras in the film.