Playing the extremely challenging role of the prisoners’ leader named Dragline, George Kennedy truly exceeded everyone’s expectations with his phenomenal performance. He was Luke’s nemesis for most of the film but eventually, turned into his best bud. Apparently, Kennedy shelled out $5,000 in trade advertising to promote himself as an actor. Well, he got more than his money’s worth in return!
Kennedy’s acting was so excellent that it landed him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and a nomination for the corresponding Golden Globe. He was the only actor to win an award for his role in the film and he truly deserved every bit of recognition he got from it! We’re pretty sure that nobody could have nailed it better than he did!
Real Physical Labor
If you create a film based on a chain gang, you should expect that the cast is physically on point! It wasn't much of a surprise then that the cast in the film actually performed some of those grueling scenes, and not any stunt doubles.
The scene of the gang members covering a road with asphalt was actually performed in real life as they got the job done about a mile off a California highway. Great work, boys!
Serious Role
American actor Morgan Woodward truly made a name for himself playing the role of Boss Godfrey, a very unique and mysterious man notably known as the "man with no eyes". Morgan Woodward, just like Paul Newman, took his role very seriously and went to lengths to perfect such a character.
Woodward was so serious and willing to give his best for the role that he even kept silent offset and made sure to keep wearing those sunglasses. That's some dedication right there!
Real Broken Meters
The film crew really made an extraordinary effort in making the scenes as authentic as possible that even in the beginning scene of the movie, those parking meters were actually cut down! The mischief was done in Lodi, California, contributing to one of the most notable scenes of the film.
The mischief went on even beyond the film as the meters weren't even replaced, displaying a row of metal poles that remained years after the film was produced!
A Meticulously Made Set Design
The film's set was so meticulously done that it truly reached a level of realism for its viewers. Remodeling a large area in Stockton, California into a prison complex was indeed no joke! It is no surprise that the set designers had to pay a painstaking amount of attention to the details.
They were so meticulous with their work that they even decided to bring trucks full of Spanish moss to achieve a realistic look of the trees around the set. They also added seemingly small but effective details such as dog kennels and warden housing.