Hollywood is known for producing some of the greatest films in the history of cinema. But the American film industry is also known for creating the genre known as western. If you haven’t watched the Clint Eastwood starrer extraordinary film, Hang Em High (1968) yet, then you better hurry up. And if you have, then you know it’s a classic. One of the important elements of westerns is their location. In this article, we’ll discuss the movie and tell you Where Was Hang Em High Filmed?
The story of Hang Em High revolves around the character of Jed Cooper, played by the legendary actor, Clint Eastwood, a marshall who survives a near-death situation as he was about to get hanged. In order to take revenge on the ones who almost killed him, he takes up his previous job as a law enforcer. After preparing a hit list of nine people, who tried to kill him in cold blood, he starts to drop bodies one at a time.
The classic and one of the greatest western films, Hang Em High was filmed in a number of places in New Mexico like White Sands National Park, Las Cruces, La Posa Plain in Arizona, and also at the MGM Studios in California.
Anyhow, let’s dig deeper and find out in detail about these filming locations.
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Where Was Hang Em High Filmed?
Locations of a western are one of the most important aspects. If you do not select the locations carefully or without proper research then there is a high possibility of the movie losing its essence. However, let’s find out more about these interesting locations.
White Sands National Park | New Mexico, USA
The American national park, quite famous as a filming location, is situated in the state of New Mexico and is surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range. This is one of the major locations where Hang Em High was filmed.
The famous national park was originally pronounced White Sands National Monument in 1933 by President Herbert Hoover. Later in 2019 it was once again renamed by Congress as well as by President Donald Trump. The national park is visited by over 600,000 people each year, making it one of the most popular National Parks in the United States.
However, apart from Hang Em High, a number of other outstanding movies like Four Faces West (1948), The Hired Hand (1971), My Name Is Nobody (1973) and King Solomon’s Mines (1950) were also filmed here. Other than the old classic films, several movies in recent times like Transformers (2007), Transformers 2 (2009), The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs (2018) were filmed here as well.
Las Cruces | New Mexico, USA
This is another location where the classic western movie, Hang Em High was filmed. Las Cruces happens to be the second largest city in the American state of New Mexico. The metropolitan area has an estimated population of over 213,849. It is in fact the largest city in Dona County as well as in southern New Mexico.
General attractions in the city of Las Cruces include the New Mexico Farm And Ranch Heritage Museum, the Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park which is quite famous for its birdlife, and the Museum Of Nature And Science. You can also visit the Railroad Museum which showcases old models of trains.
Not many people are aware but interestingly Clint Eastwood the lead actor in Hang Em High directed a movie named The Mule in 2018 which was filmed in and around Las Cruces. He starred in the movie and also produced it.
La Posa Plain | Arizona, USA
The La Posa plain is the perfect location for shooting western films as it is a wide and usually flat plain land. It is situated in the western part of Arizona close to the Colorado River. La Posa Plain lies to the east of the Colorado River Indian Reservation and east of the Dome Rock and Trigo Mountains. There is nothing much to see at the location as it’s a plain flat land but it is an ideal place for shooting action sequences or scenes that involve a Mexican standoff.
MGM Studios | California, USA
As we know that westerns are all about outdoor locations, but there are certain scenes that the production unit or the director prefers to shoot at studios. There are a number of scenes in the film Hang Em High, that were shot at the MGM (Metro Goldwyn Mayer) Studios.
MGM Studios was founded by Marcus Loew and Louis B. Mayer in 1924. It was one of the biggest studios and most important production companies back in the day that produced hundreds of successful and influential films. The headquarters of the MGM Studios is located in Beverly Hills, California.
MGM grew as a company by hiring renowned actors and creating a slogan that said “more stars than there are in heaven”. After releasing this slogan and signing some of the well-known and famous actors of those times, it became one of America’s leading and powerful studios.
A few of the highest-grossing MGM productions include the Sylvester Stallone film, Rocky, and the extremely famous James Bond franchise. In 2021 Amazon bought MGM for $8.45 billion.
Final Word
Well, we hope that it was interesting knowing about these unique locations where a classic movie like Hang Em High was filmed. So, if you liked going through the article then do not forget to let us know.
Who Is The Director of the Movie, Hang Em High?
The movie, Hang Em High is directed by Ted Post.
What Is The Duration Of The Film, Han Em High?
The duration of the movie is 1h 56m.
Who Wrote The Film Hang Em High?
The film, Hang Em High was written by Leonard Freeman and Mel Goldberg.
Who Is The Producer Of The Film, Hang Em High?
Leonard Freeman is the producer of the film, Hang Em High.
In What Language Is The Film, Hang Em High Available?
Hang Em High is available in the English language.
