Burt Lancaster was forced by United Artists to make four films for $150,000 a picture in the 1960s: The Young Savages, Birdman of Alcatraz, The Train and The Hallelujah Trail rather than his normal fee of $750,000, because of cost overruns at his production company, Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, for which he was personally responsible.
Bill Williams died performing a stunt with a colleague during this shoot. The stunt called for Williams and another stuntman to guide a horse-drawn wagon toward a cliff. As the horses separated, both men were supposed to jump clear as the wagon continued over the cliff. Williams didn't manage to jump clear in time and died during the fall.
During location shooting in New Mexico the crew was confronted with the heaviest rainfalls in that region in 50 years. It washed away the tents as well as the set and props.