Each is promised a minimum of $50,000 for participating in a heist; they must wear a beard to disguise their appearance; and, are blindfolded during the journey, so as not to be aware of the location of the site.

They are also asked to wear gloves for the duration of the exploit and must not reveal any personal information about themselves, so as not to provide evidence that could lead back to them.

After Anderson is fired, he hands over the running of Wellerton's police department to his deputy, and seeks the comfort of his wife Maggie and young son Will.

Meanwhile, the mayor offers Pete Anderson his old job back, whilst admitting that his dismissal was a big mistake on the part of the council.

Havasu High School student Steve Manone auditioned and was chosen for the role of the Police Chief's son.

The first weekend's filming was at the deserted, now historic sites, of the Swansea mining town and at Planet Ranch (see below), with all the actors cast as "wolves" present.

Martha Hyer, married to Hollywood titan Hal Wallis, was made available by her agent for this production for the relatively small sum of a few thousand dollars.

Smokey Roberds, Henry Capps, and Andre Marquis had worked with Grofe on his 1968 Chuck Connors action pic The Proud, Damned and Dead.

Pickup scenes were filmed several months after principal photography wrapped in and around Los Angeles at Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica, Malibu, Burbank Airport and LAX.

Hamilton worked on the film both as a production assistant and on screen in the roles of pilot and chauffeur (he can be seen opening the door of the station wagon for Rick Jason on his arrival at the thieves hideout).

[3] A key plot point of the film is that the thieves are asked to grow beards before arriving at the hideout to help mask their identities.

Several cast members wore real beards during the production: Smokey Roberds, Frankie Randall, Andre Marquis and Zaldy Zshornack.

Other members of the cast playing villain roles (Rick Jason, Jan Murray, and Henry Capps) wore fake beards.

By modern filmmaking standards the stage beards appear unconvincing, especially since it is implied in the film narrative that the thieves have grown them within a matter of days/weeks upon receiving Number One's invitation to join the caper.

Although frequently shown on US television in the 1970s and early 1980s, it's rarely found on TV now probably due to its hitherto uncertain copyright status that has only recently changed (see below).

On August 12, 2024 it was announced that a remastered version of the original soundtrack for the film would be released by Uncle Helmet's Music in the fall.

Interviews with film participants took place in Lake Havasu City, AZ, Denver, CO, Fayetteville, AR, Los Angeles, CA.

An article in the Fall 2008 edition of MovieMaker Magazine titled "Documenting a Cult Classic"[4] describes Grofe's role in the production of the documentary film.

The film lay shelved for 17 years until premiered in Lake Havasu City as part of London Bridge Days on October 25, 2024.