This film was considered so blunt in its depiction of the difficulties of the battle that the US Army refused to show it, believing it to be damaging to troop morale.
Two members of John Huston's crew were killed while making the film, according to the September 11, 1985 Los Angeles Times article "Huston Documentaries: Only Following Orders", by Jack Matthews.
The same episode is remembered in another film by Huston: in 'Key Largo' (1948), the characters played by Humphrey Bogart and Lionel Barrymore recall the Battle of San Pietro.
One of the 50 films in the four-disc boxed DVD set called "Treasures from American Film Archives (2000)", compiled by the National Film Preservation Foundation from 18 American film archives. This film was preserved by The National Archives and Records Administration. The movie was shot by six Signal Corps cameramen under Maj. John Huston's direction, but his five-reel version was considered too anti-war and it was cut to the 32 minute-version eventually released.
The filmmakers arrived in San Pietro after the battle had ended. All of the battle footage was reenacted.