Where Was Nevada Smith Filmed? A Blood Lust-Filled Western!

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Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned. But hell really hath no fury than a man scorned whose parents are killed in front of him by bandits! While this may seem like a cool origin story to something like the Batman movies, we are actually talking about the movie Nevada Smith. Today, we will tell you all about it, as well as tell you where was Nevada Smith filmed! 

So reading the article till the very end is important. Directed by Henry Hathaway in 1966, Nevada Smith is a great Western that is much more than senseless violence. It is about life in the wild west. It is about life and death and the will to survive in the most hostile of regions imaginable to man! 

So, where was Nevada Smith filmed? The classic movie has been filmed in a ton of different places. Those include mainly areas in and around Arizona, California, and Louisiana, USA. Prominent places in these regions include Bishop’s Creek, Wolf Hole, Mono Lake, and Kaibab mountains. Inyo National Forest, Alabama Hills, and Krotz Springs also find their place in the movie in significant scenes.

These filming locations make Nevada Smith stand out from the rest of the Westerns filmed in that era. As the 60s saw a great improvement in camera technology, locations started to diversify. Examples of standout movies from that era are movies like Joe Kidd, Cattle King, and Two Mules For Sister Sara. Neither of them you should miss out on!

The Plot Of Nevada Smith | What Is The Movie All About?

Now, before we move on to see where was Nevada Smith filmed, let’s see a bit about what the movie is about! Nevada Smith follows the life of a young boy named Max. In the early 1890s, the west was as wild as you could possibly imagine. Surviving was a task only the most hardened people could do.

Young Max’s life changes forever as a group of thieves that includes Bill, Jesse and Fitch plan to rob gold from his father. Their actions soon turn sour as things don’t go according to plan. Max’s father doesn’t have any gold so they kill him as well as Max’s mother. Leaving the orphan boy to fend for himself in the wild west.

This leads Max on a path of vengeance. One day he comes across a gunsmith who takes Max under his wing. He gives him shelter, food, and a purpose. Teaching him everything about gun and all that comes with it. As Max comes of age, he embarks on his own journey to seek vengeance and punish those who murdered his parents.

While all three killers are now scattered, Max reaches up to them one by one. First killing Jesse in a knife fight and then strangles Bowdre in a swamp. In the end, with only Fitch remaining out of the three, Max embodies a vicious person who knows nothing but revenge. As love and companionship take a backseat for Max, his thirst for blood changes who he is as a person.

Where Was Nevada Smith Filmed? All The Locations You Need To Know About!

Nevada Smith opened to positive reviews and was praised for its storyline as well its acting. While most Westerns at the time had guns and saloons, Nevada Smith saw a much more methodical approach to killings. As reported by many working on the movie, Nevada Smith filming took place in a whopping 46 different locations.

So exactly where was Nevada Smith filmed? Keep on reading to find out!

California, USA

Where Was Nevada Smith Filmed? A Blood Lust-Filled Western!

The majority of the filming for Nevada Smith took place in regions across California. With a diverse landscape filled with mountains, forests, lakes, and others, California has it all. Besides filming the movie in studios in California, local areas were used too.

Some of the most prominent place that features in Nevada Smith is the Inyo National Forest. The region is quite famous for its forest cover, and is known as the least densely populated forest in the whole of the United States. Inyo National Forest is covered by the Sierra mountain ranges from the east and is one of the major locations featured in the movie. 

Arizona, USA

Where Was Nevada Smith Filmed? A Blood Lust-Filled Western!

Another place that gave a lot of its places for the purpose of the shooting of Nevada Smith is Arizona. There are a ton of Western movies that have been filmed in Arizona due to its rugged and rough terrain. The region not only has forests and mountains but also vast areas of land with nothing by arid lands.

Anywhere that the eye can see, you will only find rocks and sand. Some of the major areas of Arizona that feature in the movie are Bishop’s Creek, Wolf Hole, Mono Lake, and the Kaibab mountains.

Louisiana, USA

Where Was Nevada Smith Filmed? A Blood Lust-Filled Western!

Lastly, some places in Louisiana were also used for the filming of Nevada Smith. While the region is known for its lush green mountains and springs, there are some peculiar spots that are featured in the movie. The most significant of those is the LA prison season, where Max kills Bill. 

The LA prison scene is filmed in Krotz Springs, Louisiana. Some shots for the movie were also filmed in the New Orleans region of Louisiana.

Final Words

So, there you have it, folks! All that you need to know about where was Nevada Smith filmed! The movie is filled with lots of action scenes, adventures, manipulations, and great acting! While most Westerns concerned themselves with senseless violence, Nevada Smith has violence thrown into it in equal measure!

While you’re at it, we suggest that you check out other articles with filming locations! Some of our personal favorites are movies and shows like The Little Mermaid, Cold Mountain, School Daze, and more! If you have a favorite movie or show that you want to be covered then let us know in the comments down below! We will surely try to cover it as well!

Was Nevada Smith based on a real person?

Some see a resemblance between Nevada Smith and William Boyd, who became famous as Hopalong Cassidy. Others say that Smith was based on cowboy actor Ken Maynard. A movie entitled Nevada Smith (1966) starring Steve McQueen was based on Smith’s role in this book.

How old was Steve McQueen in Nevada Smith?

Steve was 35 years old in Nevada Smith.

Where to watch Nevada Smith in 2022?

You can watch Nevada Smith in 2022 on Amazon Prime and Vudu!

Ujwal Mattoo
Ujwal Mattoo
With full journalism and half engineering background, Ujwal has hands in both the tech and creative fields. He is a film enthusiast who loves all kinds of genres. As much as he enjoys watching movies, he is always amused to know more and write about the locations to feed his hunger for traveling. In this world of fictional louds, he voices his opinions softly! He is either busy writing or playing with Milo, his dog!

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