Where Was One Eyed Jacks Filmed? Marlon Brando’s Classic American Western!

One Eyed Jacks (1961) is a classic American western that was directed by Marlon Brando, who was considered to be the greatest actor of all time. The western drama film recounts the story of an outlaw who is betrayed by his best friend and partner after robbing a bank. In this article, I’ll discuss the movie and tell you where was One Eyed Jacks filmed.

Marlon Brando, who starred in the lead, made his directorial debut with One Eyed Jacks. This is the only movie that he directed in his career, which spanned over sixty years. Brando is the only actor who redefined film acting in Hollywood. Actors and filmmakers considered him to be a God when it came to acting in movies as well as on stage. Some of the other vital roles in the film are played by Karl Malden, Katy Jurado, Ben Johnson, Pina Pellicer, and Slim Pickens.

Now, without keeping you waiting any longer, let me tell you where was One Eyed Jacks filmed, the classic western drama film was shot in California. 

As mentioned before, One Eyed Jacks was directed by Marlon Brando and written by Guy Trosper and Calder Willingham. The western drama flick had its premiere in New York City on 30th March 1961, followed by its release in London, United Kingdom on 15th June 1961. The movie was made available on streaming platforms on 18th February 2012. However, let’s move ahead and find out some more information about the filming location.

Where Was One Eyed Jacks Filmed? One Eyed Jacks Filming Locations!

Marlon Brando’s One Eyed Jacks received numerous positive reviews from critics, who praised the direction and the performance of the cast. Many critics and film enthusiasts were impressed with Brando’s direction as it was his directorial debut. The classic Western drama film wasn’t a big hit at the box office as it only earned over $4 million against a budget of $6 million. 

One Eyed Jacks was nominated for an Oscar and was handpicked by the Library Of Congress for preservation in the US National Film Registry. The western drama movie received an average audience score of 72% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.1 rating on IMDb. However, let’s check out where was One Eyed Jacks filmed.

California, United States of America

Marlon Brando’s western drama movie, One Eyed Jacks, was filmed primarily in California, except for a few scenes that were shot in Mexico. Brando, as we all know, was a perfectionist. Initially, the budget of the movie was just $2 million but it increased because of Brando. Principal photography began in 1958. The production process continued for six months. It was the last Paramount Pictures movie that was released in VistaVision format. 

The production team along with the cast filmed a major portion of the movie on location. Only a few sequences were shot at Paramount Studios, which is situated at 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. 

Several scenes were filmed at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, California. Filming also took place in California’s Monterey Peninsula, which is situated on the central coast of California. The area is famous for the Monterey State Historic Park, Old Fisherman’s Wharf, Pebble Beach Golf Links, and Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The famous Warner Bros Ranch also served as a vital filming location for the western drama movie. The huge movie ranch is located in Burbank at 411 North Hollywood Way. Some of the other sequences were shot in the city of Calabasas.

Other filming locations in California include the Zabriskie Point in Death Valley and Cypress Point near Pebble Beach. Besides filming in California, the cast and crew also shot some of the scenes in Mexico, mainly in the city of Sonora, Puerto Peñasco, and Durango. 

The plot of One Eyed Jacks (1961) | A Tale Of A Bandit!

The story of One Eyed Jacks is set in 1880 and revolves around the character of Rio, played by Marlon Brando. Rio is a bandit and an outlaw who works with his friend and mentor, Dad Longworth, played by Karl Malden. Rio looks up to Longworth as he teaches him different things, including how to rob places of money and valuables.

Rio and Longworth hatch a plan to rob a bank in Mexico. Both of them robbed as much money as possible from the bank, and while escaping, Rio realized that he had made a big mistake. Longworth betrayed him so that the cops could catch him. After serving his time in prison, Rio looks for him to take his revenge. Soon, he discovers that he has become a sheriff. When he falls in love with his stepdaughter, Louisa, played by Pina Pellicer, he has second thoughts.

Final Words

Now that you know where One Eyed Jacks was filmed, I would suggest you gas up your car and go for a road trip to California and visit the filming spots I mentioned. I can assure you one thing, that it is going to be a brilliant experience visiting the filming locations of this critically acclaimed classic movie. However, if you feel like going through more such articles, then keep an eye on the Viebly website.