Kelly's Heroes

Trivia: As Oddball's Sherman tank rolls through a town, an old man gets up to look around the corner to observe the tanks passing through. After that scene, the old man had a heart attack and died immediately after. Donald Sutherland and members of the film crew tried to save him, but were unsuccessful. The film crew built the old man's coffin for his burial and the cast and crew raised money for his family. (01:30:00)

Scott215

Trivia: While on set, actor Donald Sutherland contracted spinal meningitis, went into a coma and was expected to die. Sutherland made a full recovery and continued filming.

Scott215

Trivia: While filming the John Landis film "Innocent Blood", Actor Don Rickles would elicit big laughs from the cast and crew when he would call to director John Landis, "Hey, Landis! Get us some coffee." Rickles remembered John Landis when Landis was a production assistant on the film "Kelly's Heroes."

Scott215

Trivia: One of the nuns walking through the village as Oddball's Sherman rolls by is production assistant and later Hollywood movie director John Landis.

Scott215

Trivia: When Oddball's tank crushes a car, the car had to be bolted to the ground so as not to move. During previous takes, the Sherman would merely shove the car out of the way, prompting the film makers to secure the car to the ground to prevent it from being shoved.

Scott215

Trivia: Actor Richard Davalos kept his bayonet razor sharp and accidentally stabbed Telly Savalas in the arm during the scene where the squad jumps over the wall to ambush the Germans on the road, warranting bandages on Savalas' arm. In the film, Savalas kept his shirt sleeves rolled up, until he was stabbed, and then kept his sleeves rolled down to hide the bandages.

Scott215

Trivia: The filmmakers got most of their vehicles and equipment from the Yugoslavian army, as they still had WW2 vehicles in their current inventory. The communist government of Broz Tito was more than happy to rent out their usage to the filmmakers for the extra cash.

Scott215

Factual error: Oddball tells Kelly their commander had been trying to get them killed ever since they landed at Omaha (beach). Oddball's tanks are part of the U.S. sixth Armored division (the Super Sixth, as the unit shoulder patch on his jacket indicates) which actually landed at Utah beach on July 18, 1944. (00:30:50)

Scott215

More mistakes in Kelly's Heroes

Big Joe: If I hear any more threats against Captain Maitland's life, if I hear any more wild talk about going down to headquarters and killing the General, or raping the nurses at the field hospital, I'm going to strangle the guy with my bare hands! You understand that? (00:35:24)

More quotes from Kelly's Heroes

Question: What type of Allied fighter destroyed the units vehicles? It doesn't look like any allied combat aircraft I've seen before.

AdmRose

Answer: It's a Yugoslav Soko 522 Ikarus.

Chosen answer: From the markings it looks like a P47 jug. Strange thing is it was equipped with rockets, which I have only seen outfitted on the P-38 lightning and the P-51 Mustang. Kelly's is a great movie but far from historically accurate. There is a country song Odd Ball Plays as the blow up the rail yard that not even close to having been released at the time.

James Rowell

More questions & answers from Kelly's Heroes

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