Where Was McQ Filmed? John Wayne’s Classic Neo-Noir Film!

When it’s a John Wayne movie, you know there have to be a lot of action and gunfights. And McQ (1974) is one of John Wayne’s finest action crime drama films. Now if you’re interested to know where all those action sequences and gun fights filmed, well, in that case, you’ve arrived at the right place. In this article, I’ll discuss the movie and tell you where was McQ filmed.

McQ follows Police Officer Lon McQ, who investigates the murder of his close friend and discovers corruption in his own police department. The action crime drama/neo-noir film stars John Wayne in the main role along with other eminent, veteran actors like Eddie Albert, Diana Muldaur, Colleen Dewhurst, Clu Gulager, and David Huddleston. 

Wayne was a major and influential actor during Hollywood’s Golden Era. He started his career during the silent period and had been in over 179 movies. The Oscar-winning actor was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is considered to be the highest civilian honor in the US.

Now let me tell you where was McQ filmed, the John Wayne starrer action crime drama movie was shot in Washington, United States of America.

From notable filmmaker John Struges, McQ had its premiere in Seattle on 4th January 1974, followed by its wide theatrical release in the United States on 6th February 1974. The action crime drama film was released digitally on 1st January 2009. However, let’s stay focused and find out some more information about the movie’s filming location. 

Where Was McQ Filmed? McQ Filming Locations?

John Struges’ McQ garnered a positive response from critics who praised the movie’s screenplay and direction. Variety’s Arthur D Murphy described the movie as “a good contemporary crime actioner,” whereas The Washington Post‘s Gary Arnold applauded the overall movie but wasn’t quite satisfied with John Wayne’s performance, as he thought Wayne could have done better.

Sturges was one of the most influential and celebrated filmmakers of early Hollywood, who also served in the army during the Second World War. Not to mention, he is an award-winning and critically acclaimed director. The neo-noir film got a rating of 6.2 on IMDb and an audience score of 59% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, let’s jump into the details of where was McQ filmed.

Washington, United States of America

The action crime drama movie, McQ was entirely filmed in and around Washington. Principal photography of the movie began in 1973 in Seattle, which is one of the largest cities in Washington. The city is best known for its urban landscapes and its popular business district. A major portion of the film was shot in Seattle, including the scene in which Lon McQ gets into a car chase and then crashes it, was filmed in the residential district of southeast Capitol Hill. 

All the scenes involving the police station were filmed at a Public Safety Building in Seattle, even though the building does not look the same as it has been remodeled. Besides filming in Seattle, the cast and crew also filmed a portion of the movie in the city of Aberdeen. It is situated near Grays Harbor County, which is quite close to the Pacific coast of Washington State.

Some portion of the famous car chase scene was also filmed at the Quinault Indian Reservation, which is located in Grays Harbor County. A few of the scenes were filmed in the census-designated area of Taholah as well. 

Most of the beach sequences in the movie were filmed in Ocean Shores, which is a small city in Grays Harbor County. The production team and cast during the filming days stayed at the Polynesia Hotel. The climax was shot at Pacific Beach and the census designated area of Moclips. A handful of scenes were also filmed near Pacific Avenue in Ocean Shores.

Plot Of McQ (1974) | A Tale Of An Honest Cop!

The story of McQ revolves around the character of Lon McQ, played by none other than John Wayne. Lon is an honest police detective who is a hard nut, and when it comes to corruption, it boils his blood. When his work partner and best friend Stan Boyle, played by William Boyle, gets murdered in cold blood along with two other police officers, he decides to get to the bottom of the case.

Lon begins his investigation and makes it his ultimate goal to get hold of the perpetrators. Soon, everything changes for him when he discovers the true face of his own police department. Lon finds out about his department’s corruption and involvement in dealing with confiscated drugs.

Final Words

McQ is a must-watch for those who are John Wayne fans. The movie showcases amazing action sequences, thrilling gun fights, and exciting car chases, so try not to miss out on the movie. And if you wish to check out the filming spots, well, now you know where to go. Having said that, if you liked going through the article, then do not forget to let me know.