The Legacy of the Mescal Movie Set

 

With over 70 years of film history, Mescal’s roots trace back to classics like Winchester '73 (Jimmy Stewart), The Big Country (Gregory Peck), and Cimarron (Glenn Ford).

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The physical set was constructed in 1968–1969 for Monte Walsh (Lee Marvin, Jack Palance). Released the same year was Dirty Dingus Magee (Frank Sinatra).

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Decades of iconic motion pictures followed, including:

• The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (Paul Newman)

• The Outlaw Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood)

• Tom Horn (Steve McQueen)

• The Frisco Kid  (Harrison Ford, Gene Wilder)
   

The 1990s brought massive big-budget productions. Tombstone—starring Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, and Sam Elliott—became a cultural touchstone and the most quoted Western of all time. It was quickly followed by The Quick and the Dead (Sharon Stone, Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio).

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Music legends also left their mark, from the 1986 remake of Stagecoach starring The Highwaymen (Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson) to The Gambler (Kenny Rogers).

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As an alternate town backdrop, Mescal hosted classic television series like Gunsmoke, Bonanza, and Little House on the Prairie, and served as Sweetwater in The Young Riders. Made-for-TV hits like The Sacketts, and Buffalo Soldiers filmed here as well.

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A New Era Operating independently since February 2021, Kartchner Ventures has revitalized this historic landmark to champion the return of filmmaking to Southern Arizona. Come walk the boardwalks where legends made cinematic history!