The General Commander of the "White Army" Baron Vrangel and General Yakov Slashchev, who was the second in command, were the prototypes for the characters in the film. The real General Slashchev returned to the Soviet Russia in 1924 and was later killed in Moscow.
Original production of "Beg" at the Moscow Art Theater was banned, because Stalin was critical about the portrayal of the White Army officers. Even Gorky tried to help the movie, but the ban was not lifted.
The film was released in two parts.