This was Walter Hill's first credit as screenwriter. Hill later said he had hoped the title roles would be played by Jason Robards and Strother Martin, rather than the popular TV team of Robert Culp and Bill Cosby (who co-starred together in I Spy (1965)), but he later said he found the film they made was ok.
James Woods appeared in four films in 1972, this was the second one released and the third of his career.
The football game Hickey & Boggs attend took place on 26 September,1971, between the L.A. Rams and the Atlanta Falcons, at the Coliseum. The game ended in a 20-20 tie (this was before the NFL introduced sudden-death overtime, to break most ties). The baseball game the pair attend took place several weeks before the football game; 18 August, at Dodger Stadium. The Mets beat the Dodgers, 3-2.