The classic Western film “Chisum” is a 1970 American movie directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and starring John Wayne, Forrest Tucker, Christopher George, and Ben Johnson. The movie tells the story of legendary cattle baron John Chisum and his struggle against corrupt bandits led by Lawrence Murphy in Lincoln County.
The setting for the movie was essential to create an authentic Wild West atmosphere that matched the storyline’s dramatic nature. So where was this iconic silver screen masterpiece filmed?
Most Western movies were typically made in California’s deserts or Colorado’s mountain ranges since these locations offered expansive vistas perfect for shooting horseback riding scenes or creating massive ranch houses. However, “Chisum” took a different route as its production team found a more fitting location in New Mexico.
Lincoln County is located towards south-central New Mexico on stretches over 4,831 square miles of land area with much of it being rural desert land where cattle raising can be done effectively. This area served as the backdrop for many iconic western movies like Young Guns one & two or Lonesome Dove series thanks to its rough terrain and historical significance because it marks Lincoln County War (1878-1881).
Filming began in July 1969 at two major locations:
Santa Fe National Forest and White Sands Missile Range near Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Santa Fe National Forest
With mature forests shielding deep valleys from sunlight and streams flanked by huge rock formations basking under Southwestern suns hithered adventurous crew members who swept through acres upon acres capturing some breathtaking shots around Lincoln’s former ranching country landscape.
Image result for chisum santa fe forest
Several scenes showcasing John Wayne leading various cavalry charges are shot here – specifically along Pecos River adjacent towards Vista Verde Trailhead parking lot within Peck Basin trail project region; Two overhead shots capture beautiful scenery prairies spotted with dense cloud cover indicative of the vast and varying landscape. These visuals made for a dramatic portrayal of both Chisum’s conflict ridden life and that harsh environment he lived in.
White Sands Missile Range
On the other side, there’s Albuquerque, an urban development situated in northern New Mexico at elevations around 5.000ft surrounded by mountains with three active Air Force bases present- providing movies with locations usually regarding advanced technical facilities or installations futuristic concepts. However, this time it was different; White Sands Missile Range is located south-westward from Alamogordo region encompassing over 3 million hectares – the perfect spot to portray John Wayne’s tales via partaking stunts beyond imagination.
Image result for chisum white sands missile range
Various scenes were shot hereincluding a cattle drive led by Chisum heading towards his ranch after defeating Murphy’s men set against an expansive desert backdrop littered liberally with Joshua trees.A historic corral park stands resiliently where many iconic western movie moments took place and still do. White Sands with huge snow-white gypsum dunes led away into blue skies stretching as far as eyes could see which captured not just extraordinary visuals but also daunting dangers risks when filming under windy circumstances resulting not accidentally damaging camera equipment on location.
These two locations played significant roles in making “Chisum” into the unforgettable masterpiece it is today, serving as excellent substitutes for Lincoln County’ geography that added authenticity to its storylines setting out transporting viewers to another world entirely through visual imageries.
Conclusion:
The landscapes used throughout “Chisum” have become defining aspects of Western films – be remembered vividly even though decades since their debut runs have elapsed- adding quite significantly towards film lovers’ collections who seek classic movies featuring epic stories displaying magnificent cinematography all throughout their runtime. With such excellent choices of environments only enhancing already well-done performances capturing intense drama plotline – few movies come close toward creating something so memorable like “Chisum.” New Mexico’s openness and storied history offer the perfect backdrop for this classic Western while providing a rare opportunity to see one of America’s most celebrated actors, John Wayne – in his element.
The classic Western film “Chisum” is a 1970 American movie directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and starring John Wayne, Forrest Tucker, Christopher George, and Ben Johnson. The movie tells the story of legendary cattle baron John Chisum and his struggle against corrupt bandits led by Lawrence Murphy in Lincoln County.
One of the most important aspects of creating an authentic Wild West atmosphere for this iconic silver screen masterpiece was selecting the perfect filming locations. Although many Western movies were typically made in California’s deserts or Colorado’s mountain ranges due to their expansive vistas ideal for shooting horseback riding scenes or creating massive ranch houses, “Chisum” chose a more fitting location – New Mexico.
Lincoln County is located towards south-central New Mexico on stretches over 4,831 square miles of land area with much of it being rural desert land where cattle raising can be done effectively. This area served as the backdrop for many iconic western movies like Young Guns one & two or Lonesome Dove series thanks to its rough terrain and historical significance because it marks Lincoln County War (1878-1881).
Filming began in July 1969 at two major locations: Santa Fe National Forest and White Sands Missile Range near Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Santa Fe National Forest provided the filmmakers with mature forests shielding deep valleys from sunlight and streams flanked by huge rock formations basking under Southwestern suns that allowed adventurous crew members to sweep through acres upon acres capturing some breathtaking shots around Lincoln’s former ranching country landscape. Several scenes showcasing John Wayne leading various cavalry charges were shot here – specifically along Pecos River adjacent towards Vista Verde Trailhead parking lot within Peck Basin trail project region; Two overhead shots capture beautiful scenery prairies spotted with dense cloud cover indicative of the vast and varying landscape. These visuals made for a dramatic portrayal of both Chisum’s conflict ridden life and that harsh environment he lived in.
White Sands Missile Range, on the other hand, provided a completely different atmosphere. Located south-westward from Alamogordo region encompassing over 3 million hectares– this location was perfect to portray John Wayne’s tales via partaking stunts beyond imagination. Various scenes were shot here including a cattle drive led by Chisum heading towards his ranch after defeating Murphy’s men set against an expansive desert backdrop littered liberally with Joshua trees. A historic corral park stands resiliently where many iconic western movie moments took place and still do.White Sands with huge snow-white gypsum dunes led away into blue skies stretching as far as eyes could see which captured not just extraordinary visuals but also daunting dangers risks when filming under windy circumstances resulting not accidentally damaging camera equipment on location.
Together, these two locations played significant roles in making “Chisum” into the unforgettable masterpiece it is today, serving as excellent substitutes for Lincoln County’s geography that added authenticity to its storylines setting out transporting viewers to another world entirely through visual imageries.
In conclusion, the landscapes used throughout “Chisum” have become defining aspects of Western films – being remembered vividly even though decades since their debut runs have elapsed- adding quite significantly towards film lovers’ collections who seek classic movies featuring epic stories displaying magnificent cinematography all throughout their runtime. With such excellent choices of environments only enhancing already well-done performances capturing intense drama plotline – few movies come close toward creating something so memorable like “Chisum.” New Mexico’s openness and storied history offer the perfect backdrop for this classic Western while providing a rare opportunity to see one of America’s most celebrated actors, John Wayne – in his element.