In several scenes Max suffers from heart problems. In a later interview, Fred Gwynne said that he actually had a real heart attack while filming one of those scenes. The cameras kept rolling as they called 911, and the director decided to keep the footage of the real heart attack in the movie. Fred got out of the hospital a few days later, and managed to finish the filming on schedule.

In the scene where Lou Diamond Phillips is being dragged under the car, Philips actually did the stunt himself. He stated in an interview he had marks on his back for months after filming was complete.

First theatrical film of Dean Norris.

Emilio Estevez turned down the role of Ray.

The opening scene was filmed during the street fair held every 4th of July. Lou performed with the pipe fitters during the street fair.

Working titles of the film: "Where's Salazar?" and "Waiting for Salazar".

Hoyt Axton liked the Montana filming locations so much, he bought property there after the film wrapped.

Writer/Director Jim Kouf made a deal with then Disney CEO Jeffery Katzenberg that he could make a movie on a Five Million Dollar budget and this was the film they agreed on after the success of Stakeout, which he had written.

The principal cast of the film which included Fred Gywnne, Lou Diamond Phillips, Ruben Blades and William Russ did not have any interaction with Ed O'Neill and Daniel Roebuck throughout the production. Corbin Bernstein in the meantime only really interacted with O'Neill and Roebuck during his scenes.

The film was shot completely in Montana by Writer/Director Jim Kouf because he just bought a house and was living there along with his current wife, Lynn Bigelow-Kouf, which was not only essential for what Kouf had wanted to do visually but also for budgetary constraints which helped save money since he had shot outside and inside the town of Hamilton and Missoula.

William Russ did not know how to drive a car because he was from New York City and was used to riding in cabs. During the scene where he steals the car, a stunt car driver had to take over the scene with the exception of the close ups.

The original Director of Photography on the film was Yuri Neyman and was replaced by Ron Garcia, about two weeks after the production fell behind schedule due to his over-meticulous work ethic of perfection and would've never finished the film on schedule according to Producer Lynn Bigelow-Kouf

The pig dung in the back of the truck that Fred Gywnne, Lou Diamond Phillips and Ruben Blades hitch a ride to town with was actually tons of chocolate pudding.

The scene where Ed O'Neill tries to cross the river was done without a stunt double and O'Neill actually did the stunt himself in the ice cold water.

Edward James Olmos was Writer/Director Jim Kouf's personal choice for Frank Salazar but was unavailable. Emilio Estevez with whom he had worked with on Stakeout prior to production on this film began could not take the role due to prior commitments. The studio insisted on Corbin Bernsen, who had become a star because of his work and the popularity of the hit TV series, L.A. Law and Kouf agreed to give him the role him.

The production on the film began on April 25, 1988 and filming would last 52 Days with winter weather dominating the shoot at times with some days completely snowed out due to storms.

The scene where Corbin Bernsen gets attacked by the ants was actually shot in the middle of the night using real live black ants.

The bank where the heist is supposed to take place was actually a set built inside two vacant buildings in downtown Hamilton, Montana.

The real estate office and the courthouse were amongst the real locations that Writer/Director Jim Kouf used around where he was living for the shoot.

Writer/Director Jim Kouf hired Composer David Newman to write a more Western-like score more so than an obvious comedy score which he liked alot.

The used as Frank's hideaway outside of the town was in fact built and rebuilt several times in different locations to take advantage of the landscape around Montana.

The man that shoots at Ruben Blades during the robbery spree was in fact Lynn Bigelow-Kouf's father in a cameo.

The Vista Cruiser station wagon that Lou Diamond Phillips steals midway through the film actually belonged to a friend of Writer-Director Jim Kouf.

The Bronco that Corbin Bernsen drives when he's introduced in the beginning of the film actually belonged to Writer-Director Jim Kouf.

Writer - Director Jim Kouf's daughter was actually born June 21st, 1988 during the final stages of filming in Missoula, Montana and spent the morning/day with his then wife, Marie Butler-Kouf during conception. Kouf could not make the filming and Executive Producer, Rob Cohen took over filming the scenes that took place there. Those scenes were not featured in the final cut of the film since the film was too long at that point.

The Bank Robbery is supposed to take place between 2:00 AM and 7:00 AM which is almost exactly five hours to give Ray to hook up all the cars with the mini-bombs to blow off the distributor caps on the police force cars, Max to disable the alarm and Nick to drill the safe and finally Max blowing it with enough time to getaway before daylight.