Summary
Silveradois one of the most iconic Westerns of the ’80s, with a set that has been reused many times since - but where else was it filmed?Kevin Costner’s Western epic,Silverado, is a Lawrence Kasdan-directed, Academy Award-nominated film that follows a group of misfit cowboys and outlaws who band together to protect the people of the small town of Silverado. Featuring one ofthe cruelest Western villainsin Brian Dennehy as Cobb, a corrupt and violent sheriff,Silveradois a homage to the Westerns the actors in the film grew up withand an original tale all its own.
Much ofSilverado’s success is a result of the work of cinematographer John Bailey, who was responsible for filming the sweeping, gorgeous shots of the American West and the lands around the fictional town of Silverado. The commitment to filming the movie in gorgeous wide-open shots makes it worth watching alone. Whether it’s a gunfight in a dusty alley or a wagon train treading across a prairie,each scene is uniquely beautiful. Even better, the filming locations can actually be visited by viewers who are impressed enough to want to see the real thing.
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Silverado Was Filmed On Location At The Cerro Pelon Ranch In New Mexico
The Film Was Shot In Multiple Locations Throughout New Mexico
Despite only having a small budget of $26 million,Silveradowas filmed on location, primarily at the Cerro Pelon Ranch in New Mexico, viaGiggster. Other filming locations include North Galisteo, Baldy Mountain, and Rinconada Pass. Cerro Pelon, originally called Cook Ranch (viaRepublicWorld), served as the setting of the town itself, but it’s those gorgeous mountainous and desert areas around New Mexico that placeSilveradoin league with the beautiful Western films that it’s attempting to emulate.
White Rock is featured heavily in the opening moments of the movie, which also gives stunning views of the Rio Grande and surrounding Jemez Mountain. It’s a site to behold on film, let alone in real life.
It’s a true old-fashioned Western that tries to capture what made those films so special and filming the movie on location goes a long way to capturing the essence of those films.
Silveradois not a neo-Western, nor does it try to reappraise the genre. It’s a true old-fashioned Western that tries to capture what made those films so special and filming the movie on location goes a long way to capturing the essence of those films. Costner, Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, and Danny Glover look like men out of time when an actual, staggering mountain range is just over their shoulders.
The Silverado Set Is Still Standing — And Has Been Used In Several Hollywood Productions
The Cerro Pelon Ranch Has Appeared In More Westerns And Even The MCU
The Cook Ranch was discovered somewhat by accident. Kasdan and his crew were out scouting locations by helicopter in 1984, in preparation for their upcoming movie,Silverado, viaNew Mexico. At the same time, Bill and Marian Cook were considering how they could put their ranch to better economic use. EnterSilverado’s location manager knocking on their door and asking if they could film a new movie on the Cook’s land. Bill recalls the meeting,
“As I remember, he knocked on the door and said, ‘We’d like to do a little shooting here.’ There wasn’t any great motivation for me one way or another, but I said okay. It just grew from that into a big budget movie and the Silverado set was built.”
Initially, the crew only wanted to build two or three structures,but eventually, the entire town was built there.Everything from the saloon to the jailhouse was constructed with many of the buildings as three-dimensional structures rather than just facades. The scenic location has been used in many movies sinceSilverado,with its locale and already constructed set being major enticing factors, viaMovieMaps. A network of roads cutting through the ranch also makes filming in nearby locations easy.Silveradoand subsequent movies have put Cerro Pelon Ranch on the map, even if most people don’t know its name.
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Silverado (movie)
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Longarm (TV)
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Silverado
Cast
Four unlikely heroes, Emmett, Paden, Jake, and Mal, band together to bring justice to the lawless town of Silverado. Each character, with their unique skills and backgrounds, faces personal vendettas and moral dilemmas as they confront the corrupt Sheriff Cobb and ruthless rancher Ethan McKendrick. The film combines elements of classic Westerns with dynamic action sequences and a rich ensemble cast, highlighting themes of friendship, loyalty, and the fight against tyranny in the Wild West.
