John Travolta turned down the lead role (which went to Richard Gere) on the advice of his agent. See also American Gigolo (1980).

John Denver was offered and turned down the lead role. He later said it read like a "1950's movie".

Actress Lisa Eilbacher said the hardest part about doing her obstacle course scenes was pretending she was out of shape.

In the original script, Mayo's Dad, played by Robert Loggia in the film visited his son during training and had a much bigger role.

Former Marine drill instructor turned actor R. Lee Ermey coached Louis Gossett Jr. for his role as Sgt. Foley.

During the scene at TJ's where Zack says goodbye to Paula, Seegar says "I can still taste that bug!" This is a reference to a deleted survival training scene (including in the novelization) where Zack goads Seegar into eating a bug that is crawling on the roof of their shelter, then is forced to eat one himself to avoid disgrace.

The motel scenes were filmed at the Tides Motel in Port Townsend, Washington. The room they used still has a wooden plaque on the door commemorating its use in the movie.

Producer Don Simpson unsuccessfully demanded that the ballad "Up Where We Belong" be cut from the film, saying, "The song is no good. It isn't a hit." The song later became the #1 song on the Billboard chart and won the Academy Award for Best Song. He wanted a similar song called "On The Wings Of Love" by Jeffrey Osborne. The song was released a few months later. It peaked at #29 on the Billboard charts.

Richard Gere rides a 750cc Triumph T140E Bonneville introduced halfway in the 1978 selling season. Two T140E Bonnevilles were supplied by Dewey's Cycle Shop in Seattle, Washington. One had Receipt no.16787 dated April 8, 1981 as sold to Paramount Pictures.

Zach tells Paula that he will later be stationed in Beeville, Texas to learn to fly jets. Beeville was actually home, until the mid nineties, of Naval Air Station Chase Field, where navy pilots trained. The base has since been closed and the site converted into a maximum security prison.

The song playing at TJ's when Paula and Zack talked at the jukebox after breaking up is "Tunnel of Love" by Dire Straits.

At the beginning of the movie, when a young Zack was mugged by a group of young Filipinos, their lines actually meant, "Gut the son of a bitch," and then, "How much did we get? How much?"

According to "High Concept", Charles Fleming's biography of producer Don Simpson, the producer was alleged to have said to the auditioning Debra Winger, "There may be somebody else for this part. I need somebody fuckable. You're not fuckable enough."

In the United Kingdom, Paramount successfully linked with Triumph Motorcycles (Meriden) Ltd to do a mutual promotion. Cinemas showing the film would be promoted at their local Triumph dealer and T140E Triumph Bonnevilles supplied by the dealer would be displayed in cinema foyers.

At the graduation ceremony when Zack says he's going to get his "first salute", he is referring to his father. A scene was shot at the graduation where Zack's father salutes him. This goes back to a point in the beginning when Zack's Dad said he'd never salute him. Robert Loggia protested that being cut out of the movie. The footage is considered lost.

It is a Navy tradition for newly-commissioned officers to give a silver dollar to the recipient of their "first salute." In the scene where the new graduates of Foley's class receive their "first salutes," you can see them giving Foley a silver dollar prior to each salute. It is also a tradition for the D.I. to place the silver dollar of his "memorable" students in his right pocket; you can see that Mayo's dollar is placed in Foley's right pocket, rather than the left pocket as it is for, for example, Ensign Della Serra.

Eric Roberts was serious considered for the lead role. But Eric's manager, Bill Treusch, attended the meetings between director, Taylor Hackford, and Eric; and Hackford finally had reservations that Treusch would allow for a vital director/actor relationship to develop between Taylor and Eric.

Crew or equipment visible: When Sgt Foley has the new recruits lined up and tells them that they will fail, the dolly tracks of the camera are visible. Foley can be seen to carefully step between the rails.

Continuity: Zack's grip on Foley's arm during the fight scene.

Continuity: Zach enters Sid's motel room to see him hanging, naked, in the toilet. Zach runs to cut him loose and grabs him round the waist, and the camera angle reveals the underpants Sid is now wearing.

Continuity: Just before the fight seen between Mayo and Foley, Mayo has red marks on his back probably from previous takes. Then later on in the fight scene the red marks disappear.

Continuity: Just before the officer candidates take the oath and graduate a recruit announces, "All officers present." The candidates' swords are up on their shoulders but in the next shot the swords are in their scabbards.

Revealing mistakes: During the factory cafeteria scene where Paula is trying to reach Zack on the phone, a co-worker mentions to Lynette that it's 3:40 PM on a Friday and she's not bragging about their weekend plans. A moment later when Paula runs from the cafeteria to find Zack, the clock on the cafeteria wall reads 12:50PM. Also, many employee's appear to be eating lunch.

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): During the graduation ceremony, when Gunnery Sergeant Foley reports to the officer and falls out the graduates, he does an about face and steps off with his right foot. This is incorrect, as you always start with the left foot when marching.

Continuity: When Gunny Seargent Foley has Zack Mayo doing push ups in the sand pit, it's noticeable that his forearm sleeves are already wet from getting into a prone position to chew the recruit out, before he actually does it.

Factual errors: While in the pressure chamber you can see that Seeger has only one gold bar on her collar while Mayo and Worley have three. Since they are all officer candidates on the same course, they would all wear the same rank.

Factual errors: During the graduation ceremony the students are wearing the Service Dress White uniform and the reviewing officers are wearing Service Dress Blues. In reality they would be wearing all the same uniform one way or the other but never different as uniform season requirements are dictated by a senior officer (usually an admiral in control of the Naval region).