Although her image appears throughout the movie and her character is a prominent part of the town history, Ava Gardner does not appear in the film until approximately 15 minutes before it ends.
John Milius wrote the screenplay with Lee Marvin in mind as Judge Roy Bean. He brought the script to Marvin when he was filming Pocket Money (1972), but Marvin fell asleep after one drink too many. His co-star Paul Newman found the screenplay, read it, loved it and petitioned for the part.
John Milius claimed his experience on this film prompted him to go into directing "out of self-defense and a desire to control".
Michael Sarrazin's name in the opening credits is listed as "participation". That participation amounted to appearing in a photograph at the end of the movie, portraying the husband of Rose Bean (Jacqueline Bisset). He does not physically appear in the movie. Bisset was dating Sarrazin at the time.