Durango - Day 2, Visit to Villa de Oeste

The Wild West Town

Since the 1950's hundreds of films - mostly westerns - have been made in the Durango area.  The attraction was the authentic wild west scenery untainted by roads, power lines, airplane con trails, etc.  We are aware of three main sites: Villa de Oeste, only 12 kilometers north of Durango, Chupaderos, another 8 kilometers along the road, and Rancho La Joya, about 45 kilometers north of the city.  In 1969 La Joya became the property of John Wayne, who used it as the setting for several of his films. Elaborate sets of western towns were built at all 3 sites.

Can Can in the Street

Things are getting serious

Preliminary Hanging

Shootout at Main Street

We visited Villa de Oeste.  It looked like a dilapidated Western town with the saloon, jail, blacksmith shop, church, houses, boot hill, etc.  The city of Durango has crept up toward Villa de Oeste and Brenda and I figure that there hasn't been filming there is perhaps 50 years.

Two or three shows are put on each day, involving the sheriff, cowboys, Indians, and dance hall girls.  There is also a make believe movie director.  We saw the 3 PM show and it was a hoot involving a bank robbery, the bad guys being shot, somebody being strung up, and finally a couple of cow girls gunning down the sheriff and riding out with the loot.  It was a real hoot and the crowd loved it.  After the show Brenda and I walked around town where we had a bite to eat and a drink at the local saloon, visited boot hill where we saw the grave markers of Robert Wagner, Burt Lancaster, Richard Harris, Dolores del Rio, and even John Candy.  Presumably these were some of the big names who had worked at this set.  We also managed to get thrown into the jail and talked our way out, but as we walked away a desperado started to strangle Brenda through the bars of the jailhouse window.

We returned to the bus at the appointed time of 5 PM only to learn that there had been a change of plan and the bus would not return to Durango until 6.30 PM, after the next show.  Brenda and I expected to then see a repeat of the 3 PM show, but it turned out to be more interesting than that.

A "movie" was to be made and three world weary and mean looking men were required to play the bandidos.  Like it or not, I was pressed into service as one of the bandidos.  Not speaking Spanish very well made it difficult to understand the script, but I understood that I was to walk down the street and cover the right side during the robbery.  I checked that my toy gun wasn't really loaded, put on my cowboy hat, and went to it.

The Morales Gang Behind Bars

Future Not Too Bright

Close Call for Brenda

There were actually 4 takes: the first a normal one, the second as though the film was being run in fast forward, the third in slow motion, where we moved and spoke in slow motion, and  the final take where we were armed with bottles and got shot at the end.  I must have done a reasonable death scene because I dropped the bottle, staggered back, then fell flat on my back with my arms extended, and the people that I had earlier threatened with a gun laughed pretty heartily.

Afterwards we all went into the saloon expecting the three dance hall girls to do the Can Can.  Instead, the Indians put up an excellent and very camp dance that had us all howling.

Bank Robbery in Progress

Cool Hand Bob

Fellow Bandido Bites the Dust

The Village People doing their thing

Before  we departed for the bus I left one of my cards in case I had been spotted by a talent scout.  You never know.