Durango Mexico is not only a state but city. Of the 31 Mexican States, geographically speaking, it is one of the largest. It is also, a colonial city and known for it’s abundance of scorpions and a-list hollywood actors that have visited to film major motion pictures.
Lights … camera … action! Are the orders that for more than fifty years (1954-2004) have been constantly repeated in Durango, a.k.a. ‘the Land of Cinema’, for in the City and its surroundings had been filmed dozens of movies, some of which were enacted by renowned actors from Hollywood, as Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, Bob Dylan, Diane Lane, Jack Nicholson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, John Leguizamo, Marlon Brando, Brad Pitt, Salma Hayek, Dany Devito, John Belushi, Michel Douglas, Kevin Costner, Anthony Quinn, Paul Newman, John Wayne, Harrison Ford, Christopher Reeve, Ringo Starr, Russell Crowe, Robert Power, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson, Omar Shariff, Julia Roberts, Clint Eastwood, Chuck Norris, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Ernest Borgnine, Leonardo di Caprio, Alec Guiness, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and directors like George lucas, Steven Spielberg, Francis Coppola, Sergio Leone, James Cameron, John Ford, Sam Peckinpah, Dino de Laurentis, John Huston, Alfonso Arau, Robert Rodriguez, Alfonso Cuaron just to mention a few of them. Unfortunately, John Candy died there filming his last Hollywood movie, “Wagon Wheels”.
At the same time extremely important and Oscar winning movies like Ben Hur, The Magnificent Seven, Dr. Doctor Zhivago, Star Wars, Superman, Titanic, Pirates of the Caribbean, Conan, The Good the Bad and the Ugly, Resident Evil, Jesus of Nazareth, The Wild Bunch, Once Upun a Time in the West, The Caveman, Indiana Jones, Thor, Pearl Harbor, Nacho Libre, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Close Encounters of the third Kind, Predator, The Mask of Zorro, Master and Commander, True Grit, Troy, Braveheart, and Mexican movies like Una Aventura en Durango, Patrulla 81, Like Water for Chocolate, Y tu Mama Tambien, Bestia Nocturna, El Juez de la Soga y Uno para la Horca.
The success of Durango in the celluloid is sustained by the beauty of its natural landscapes, its nearly always clear skies, its brightened environments and of course, the colonial features of its Historical Centre. These issues became evident for the first time in the scenes of the movie “La Vida de Villa” (1912), which recounted the revolutionary struggles of Francisco “Pancho” Villa. For Ben Hur, the area of Santiago Papasquiaro in Durango was where the recreation of most of the old Roman empire took place, and for Dr Zhivago, the Sierra Madre and its snowed vistas were Russia. The desserts around the state were the other worldly locations for Star Wars.
The exquisite colonial architecture of Durango, Capital of the State of the same name, is complemented by a splendid natural background, which stores some fantastic places to visit, as the mysterious zone El Silencio, a salt desert loaded with energy, which causes the compasses to go wild, the clocks to stop functioning and the radio waves get lost. NASA conduct research in this area consistently.
Another goose bumping natural spot is ‘El Espinazo del Diablo’ or ‘The Backbone of the Devil’, a road surrounded by precipices that is a privileged viewing point of the Sierra Madre Occidental (2.200 m.a.s.l.)
Durango, at 903 kilometre distance from Mexico City, was the birth place of Doroteo Arango … of who? You should very justifiably ask, but the Doroteo in question was no other than the mythical Francisco “Pancho” Villa, a.k.a. the “Centaur of the North”, one of the most emblematical leaders of the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century.
Today, Durango is a city that is experiencing economical and industrial growth. The clothing company Carhartt U.S.A, has just built a new manufacturing facility near the Durango International Airport. Big name retailers like Domino’s, Blockbuster, Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart and McDonald’s have made Durango their home. The information contained here has been gathered from different sources and on the next list you can find more information and original posters from some of the most important movies filmed in Durango.
Because of its connection to the movies, you can find in Durango a few museums dedicated to the history of movie making in the state as well as film schools providing training for the local population and important film festivals. Sergio Leone was crazy for Durango and decided to shoot The Good, the Bad and the Ugly there as well as in Spain and Italy.
Hollywood noticed the beauty of Durango many years ago, one of the most beautiful states in Mexico favoring it as the number two place to go in the world when there is a need for diverse and beautiful locations that include desserts, mountains, colonial towns, blue skies, forests, water falls which number more than one hundred, snow, jungles, great light, and all close to each other. Another important aspect of the importance of Durango is that the big studios, Warner Brothers, Fox, Columbia, Disney, Miramax, World Film Magic, etc. always feel welcome and find a place where it is easy to work, find friendly people and never feel in a rush to leave. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg can attest to that.
Durango’s beauty and magic continues to allure productions and we are sure this will continue since you can always uncover more and more about Durango as you delve into it more and more.
Pelicula De Ben Hur Filmada En Santiago Papasquiaro Durango Mexico
Ben-Hur (1959)
Director: William Wyler
Writers: Lew Wallace (novel), Karl Tunberg (screenplay)
Stars: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins and Stephen Boyd
Release Date: 10 December 1959 (Argentina)
Country: USA Release Date: 10 December 1959 (Argentina)
Filming Locations: Arcinazzo Romano, Santiago Papasquiaro,Durango Mexico,Frosinone, Lazio, Italy
PRODUCTORA Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
PREMIOS1959: 11 Oscars, incluyendo película, director, actor (Heston), actor sec. (Griffith), montaje
1959: Globo de Oro: Mejor película: Drama
1959: BAFTA: Mejor película
The Good, the bad and the Ugly filmada en Durango Mexico
El Bueno El Feo Y El Malo
TÍTULO ORIGINAL Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo
AÑO 1966 DURACIÓN 150 min.
Filming Locations Durango Mexico Coproducciónn Italia-España-Alemania; MGM release Sección visual
DIRECTOR Sergio Leone
GUIÓN Sergio Leone, Age, Furio Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni
MÚSICA Ennio Morricone
FOTOGRAFÍA Tonino Delli Colli
REPARTO Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, Aldo Giuffrè, Mario Brega, Luigi Scarchilli, Budget: $1,200,000 (estimated) Opening Weekend: $10,584 Gross: $19,000,000 (USA)(Finland) (7 August 2003) (1 Screen) Runtime:161 min France: 186 min (dubbed version) | Spain: 182 min | 179 min (2003 extended English version) Finland: 142 min (1984)(cut version)
Star Wars Locations,DURANGO MEXICO
Director: George Lucas
Writer: George Lucas
Release Date: 25 May 1977 (USA)
Filming Locations: Tikal National Park,Durango Mexico Guatemala filmada en julio 22 1976
Production Co: Lucasfilm, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Budget: $13,000,000 (estimated)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Producción Robert Watts
George Lucas (ejecutivo)
Frank Marshall (ejecutivo)
Arthur Repola (asociado)
GuiónAdaptación:
Jeffrey Boam
Historia:
George Lucas
Menno Meyjes
MúsicaJohn Williams
EditorMichael Kahn
Fotografía Douglas Slocombe
RepartoHarrison Ford
Sean Connery
localizaciones de España, Inglaterra, Durnago Mexico Italia, Jordania y Estados Unidos
Datos y cifras
País (es) Estados Unidos
Año1989
Género Aventuras / acción
Duración127 minutos
ClasificaciónPG-13 (MPAA)
Compañías
Distribución Paramount Pictures
Presupuesto 48 000 000 USD1
Recaudación 474 171 806 USD1
superman
Superman The Movies
Release Date: 1978 – Warner Bros.
Filming Locations en Durango del 15 de mayo al 18 de Febrero de 1978.
Cast: Marlon Brando – Jor-El, Gene Hackman – Lex Luthor, Christopher Reeve – Superman/Clark Kent, Ned Beatty – Otis, Jackie Cooper – Perry White, Glenn Ford – Jonathan Kent, Trevor Howard – 1st Elder, Margot Kidder – Lois Lane, Valerie Perrine – Eve Teschmacher, Phyllis Thaxter – Martha Kent, Susannah York – Lara, Jeff East – Young Clark Kent.
TÍTULO ORIGINAL: Jesus of Nazareth
Filming Locations en Durango del 28 de Enero al 18 de Febrero de 1977.
AÑO: 1977 DIRECTOR: Franco Zeffirelli.
INTÉRPRETES: Robert Powell, Anne Bancroft, James Mason, Rod Steiger, Michael York, Peter Ustinov, Anthony Quinn, Laurence Olivier, Claudia Cardinale, James Earl Jones, Stacy Keach, Donald Pleasence, Fernando Rey, Christopher Plummer, Ralph Richardson, Cyril Cusack.
DURACIÓN: 371 minutos
GÉNERO: Drama
TÍTULO ORIGINALC ‘era una volta il west (Once Upon a Time in the West)
AÑO 1968 DURACIÓN 165 min.
Filming Locations Durango Mexico y España, USA.Italia
DIRECTOR Sergio Leone
GUIÓN Sergio Leone, Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci
MÚSICA Ennio Morricone
FOTOGRAFÍATonino Delli Colli
REPARTO Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards, Gabriele Ferzetti, Frank Wolff, Woody Strode, Jack Elam, Lionel Stander, Paolo Stoppa, Keenan Wynn PRODUCTORA Paramount Pictures GÉNERO Western , Spaghetti Westernwest
Doctor zhivago
Country: USA | Italy
Language: English | Russian
Release Date: 31 December 1965 (USA)
Also Known As: David Lean’s Film of Doctor Zhivago
Filming Locations:Santiago Papasquiaro Durango Mexico, Alberta, Canada See more
Box Office Budget: $11,000,000 (estimated) Gross: $111,721,910 (USA) (1965) Company Credits Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Technical Specs
Runtime: 197 min | UK: 192 min (1999 re-release) | UK: 193 min | UK: 200 min (1992 re-release)
Sound Mix: 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints) | DTS (re-release) (35 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm optical prints) Color (Metrocolor) Aspect Ratio: 2.20 : 1
TÍTULO ORIGINAL Caveman
NACIONALIDAD USA Y DURANGO MEXICO
DIRECTOR Carl Gottlieb
LISTA DE INTÉRPRETES Ringo Starr, Dennis Quaid, Shelley Long, Jack Gilford, Cork Hubbert, Mark King, Paco Morayta, Evan C. Kim, Ed Greenberg, Carl Lumbly, Jack Scalici, Erica Carlson, Gigi Vorgan, Sara López Sierra, Esteban Valdez.
AÑO 1981
DURACIÓN 92 minutos
GÉNERO Comedia
PRODUCTORES David Foster, Lawrence Turman
GUIONISTAS Rudy De Luca, Carl Gottlieb
MÚSICA Lalo Schifrin
FOTOGRAFIA Alan Hume
BRAVEHEART (1995)
Director Mel Gibson Written by Randall Wallace Producer Alan Ladd Jr./Mel Gibson/Bruce Davey
Cast Mel Gibson,James Robinson, Sean Lowlor, Sandy Nelson, Run time 2hrs 57 min
Rated R USA-English
Action, biography, romance, war Budget 72 million
35 mm Location Durango Mexico Domestic Gross $75,609,945
Director: John Milius
Writers: Robert E. Howard (stories), John Milius,
Release Date: 14 May 1982 (USA)
Production Co: Dino De Laurentiis Company, Universal Pictures
Filming Locations: Almería, Andalucía, Spain en Durango Mexico Budget: $20,000,000
Resident Evil: Extinction, 2007
Directed By: Russell Mulcahy
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Oded Fehr and Iain Glen
Plot Synopsis: Survivors of the Raccoon City catastrophe travel across the Nevada desert, hoping to make it to Alaska. Alice joins the caravan and their fight against the evil Umbrella Corp.
Filming Locations: Durango Mexico Azteca Studios, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico; Laguna Salada, Mexicali, Baja California Norte, Mexico; Rumorosa Pass, Mexicali, Baja California Norte, Mexico; San Felipe, Baja California Norte, Mexico
Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom y Keira Knightley.
filmada en usa en las bahamas y durango mexico marzo 2005
Release Date: 25 May 2007 (USA)
Walt Disney Pictures
Nacho Libre, 2006
Directed By: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Ana de la Reguera and Hector Jimenez
Plot Synopsis: Berated all his life by those around him, a monk follows his dream and dons a mask to moonlight as a Luchador (Mexican wrestler).
Filming Location: Durango Mexico
TRUE GRIT (2010)
Directed by Ethan Coen, Joel Coen Written by Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Distributor Paramount PicturesRated PG-13 Running time 1 hr 50 min
Filming Location: Durango Mexico Box office $148 M Werstern, Drama, Action, Adventure
Valor de ley Año:(1969)
John Wayne …
Marshall Reuben J. ‘Rooster’ Cogburn
Director: Henry Hathaway
Guión: Marguerite Roberts,Charles Portis
País: Durango Mexico y USA
Género: Oeste
Edad: Sin clasificar
Release Date: 11 June 1969 USA
filmada en Durango Mexico
Box Office
Gross: $14,250,000 USA
Release Date: 11 June 1969 USA
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Like Water for Chocolate, 1992
Directed By: Alfonso Arau
Starring: Marco Leonardi and Lumi Cavazos
Plot Synopsis: A love story about how life used to be in Mexico revolving around the central characters of Pedro and Tita.
Filming Locations: Durango Mexico Acuna, Coahuila, Mexico; Piedras Negras, Coahuilla, Mexic
El JUEZ DE LA SOGA (1972)
Directed by Alberto Mariscal Story Keith Luger Screenplay Ramon Obon Music Ricardo Carreon
Director of Photography Raul Dominguez Distributed by Cinematografica Pelimex SA
Cast Hugo Stieglitz, Milton Rodriguez, Narciso Busquets, Bruno Rey, Norma Lazareno
35mm 90 min. Filmed in Durango Mexico.
PATRULLA 81 THE MOVIE (2007)
LA VERDADERA HISTORIA DEL PASITO DURANGUENSE
Director Francisco Joel Mendoza Director of Photgraphy Santiago Barreiro Gerente de Producción: Greg Antón & Paulina Madrid Productor Ejecutivo: Francisco Joel Mendoza
Cast El Grupo Patrulla 81, y Tinguirichos Musical, Luis Felipe Tovar, Pedro Valmen, Maciel Saenz, Roxanna Najera, Joel Rangel.
Distributed by World Film Magic 35mm 90min. Drama / Musical Cast
Filmed in Durango Mexico.
UNA AVENTURA EN DURANGO (2005)
Directed by Carlos Valdemar
Cast Eliazar Villalba, Lizandro velazquez, La Banda Lamento Show de Durango,
Distributed by World Film Magic Filmed in Durango Mexico
UNO PARA LA HORCA (1972)
Directed by Alberto Mariscal Story Keith Luger Screenplay Ramon Obon Music Ricardo Carreon
Director of Photography Raul Dominguez Distributed by Cinematografica Pelimex SA
Cast Hugo Stieglitz, Milton Rodriguez, Narciso Busquets, Bruno Rey, Norma Lazareno
35mm 90 min.
Filmed in Durango Mexico
El Cine de Durango Mexico 