Sergio Leone has never failed to surprise us with his gripping and captivating western movies. Clint Eastwood starrer For A Few Dollars More was one of Leone’s most successful spaghetti westerns. Spaghetti Western is a subgenre of western films directed and produced in Europe. Having said that, filming locations play an important role when it comes to westerns. So, in this article, we’ll talk about the movie and tell you Where Was For A Few Dollars More Filmed?
For A Few Dollars More was released on 30th December 1965 in Italy followed by its theatrical release in the United States in 1967. The movie received mixed reviews from critics but was a huge box office hit. It turned out to be the highest-grossing film in Italy back in the day.
Now, to answer your question regarding the movie’s filming location, For A Few Dollars More was shot in Tabernas and Almeria in Spain. Only a handful of scenes were filmed in a studio in Rome.
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Plot Of For A Few Dollars More (1965) | The Story Of Two Bounty Hunters!
The story of For A Few Dollars More revolves around the characters of Manco played by none other than Clint Eastwood and Col. Douglas Mortimer played by Lee Van Cleef. Both of them are bounty hunters, tracking down a gang of robbers.
El Indio, played by Gian Maria Volonte, the leader of the notorious gang, has been tyrannizing and robbing the residents of the region in the Wild West. So, the residents with no option left hired Manco and Mortimer to deal with him once and for all.
Where Was For A Few Dollars More Filmed?
Sergio Leone has made several western films, but the most interesting part is that all of his films are different in every aspect but are equally engaging and entertaining. There are very few directors who can make a good western. Sergio Leone was one of the most influential filmmakers of all time and the creator of the spaghetti western subgenre. Anyhow, without wasting any more time, let’s jump into the details of the filming locations of the movie, For A Few Dollars More.
Tabernas | Spain
The Tabernas is one of Spain’s semi-arid deserts and is located in the southeastern province of Almeria. The desert is at a distance of 19 miles from the capital city of Almeria and falls under the Tabernas Municipality in Andalusia. Tabernas desert is a protected area and has been declared a nature reserve with important flora and fauna. As the desert is located inland and due to its high elevation, the annual rainfall is higher. The area spans over 110 square miles.
Tabernas for a desert, provide sufficient vegetation. Plants like sea lavender, which are almost on the verge of extinction, manage to thrive in the semi-arid climate of Tabernas. Interestingly, during the winter season, the entire desert turns white when the toadflax linaria grows. Reptiles of different kinds are found here in Tabernas, including ladder snakes, spiny-footed lizards, and ocellated lizards. Marsh frogs, natterjack toads, and terrapins are quite common here. The terrapins are mostly found in the moist parts of the desert.
Tabernas is a bird watcher’s paradise. Birds of prey like the Bonelli eagles and Peregrine falcons are quite common here. Other birds like the Blue Rock Thrush, Rock Sparrow, and Rock Bunting are found at the rocky areas of the deserts while Warblers, Goldfinches, Golden Orioles and Serins are usually found near the dry river beds.
Tabernas is quite similar to the deserts of southwestern America, northern Mexico, and northern Africa. And that is why it became popular as a filming location in the 1950s. European filmmakers who all made westerns, instead of traveling to far-off deserts shot at Tabernas. It’s not common knowledge, but HBO’s highly popular adventure drama television series Game Of Thrones was also shot here. The desert scenes where we witness the Dothrakhis were filmed here in Tabernas.
Almeria | Spain
The city of Almeria is located in southeast Spain and lies in southeastern Iberia on the Mediterranean Sea. It has an estimated population of 196,851. The city was founded in 955 by Abd al-Rahman III. It was during the Islamic era when the city grew wealthy and traded silk, oil, and raisins.
Some of the popular attractions in the city include the Alcazaba fortress and the 16th-century Almeria Cathedral. The Museum of Almeria is another popular attraction and showcases archaeological discoveries from all over the region. You can also check out the underground tunnels that were built as shelters during the Civil War of Almeria.
Some of the popular movies like Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, David Lean’s 1962 war drama Lawrence Of Arabia, Cleopatra, 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again and Conan The Barbarian were filmed in Almeria.
Final Word
So, these are the two primary locations where the filming of the spaghetti western For A Few Dollars More took place. If not the desert of Tabernas, Almeria can be a good place for a family vacation. If you ever go to Spain, then do try to visit the mentioned locations. However, if you haven’t watched the movie yet, you can stream it on Philo, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video. And also, if you’re interested in finding out about more such fascinating filming locations then do check out where was Old School and Message In A Bottle filmed.
Who Wrote The Film, For A Few Dollars More?
Sergio Leone and Fulvio Morsella wrote the film, For A Few Dollars More.
Who All Acted In The Movie, For A Few Dollars More?
The cast of For A Few Dollars More includes actors like Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Gian Maria Volonté, Mara Krup, Luigi Pistilli, Klaus Kinski Josef Egger, Panos Papadopulos, and Benito Stefanelli.
What Is The Runtime Of The Movie, For A Few Dollars More?
2h 12m is the runtime of the movie, For A Few Dollars More.
Who Produced The Film, For A Few Dollars More?
Alberto Grimaldi produced the film, For A Few Dollars More.
