Trivia

Banned in Spain under Gen. Francisco Franco's dictatorship for its anti-military message. It wasn't released until 1986, 11 years after Franco's death.

The title is a quotation from Thomas Gray's 'Elegy written in a country churchyard': "The paths of glory lead but to the grave".

Kirk Douglas was irritated by Timothy Carey's erratic acting, and made this known loudly. However, Stanley Kubrick seemed to have enjoyed getting Douglas riled up. During the court-martial scene, when Douglas was criticizing Carey's delivery, Kubrick whispered to Carey, "Make this a good one, because Kirk doesn't like it."

During filming, Timothy Carey (Pvt. Maurice Ferol) was disruptive. He also faked his own kidnapping for personal publicity, causing Stanley Kubrick and producer James B. Harris to fire him. Because of this, they were unable to show the three condemned soldiers during the battle scene, and a double was used for the scene when the priest hears Ferol's confession.

In 1969, Kirk Douglas said of the film, "There's a picture that will always be good, years from now. I don't have to wait 50 years to know that; I know it now". NOTE: As of September 2020, it's still in IMDb's 100 top-rated movies.

Stanley Kubrick: [Bathroom] Col. Dax first appears as he washes up.

Stanley Kubrick: [First Person Shot] The three condemned men as they walk to be executed.

Stanley Kubrick: [Three-Way] Court-martialed soldiers vs. French generals vs. Germans

Stanley Kubrick: [faces] Paris, when he's about to strike Pvt. Arnaud.

Stanley Kubrick: [Three-Way] Col. Dax vs. Gen. Mireau vs. Gen. Broulard.