More than 50 years ago, the sourtheast province of Almeria was known as Hollywood’s go to destination for Western films.
Throughout the ’60s and early ’70s, Spain’s cheap labor and barren landscapes served as the idyllic location for United States studios looking to do films about the Wild West, North Africa and galaxy.
Such productions like ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’ ‘100 Rifles,’ Cleopatra,’ ‘How I Won The War,’ and the Clint Eastwood Dollars Trilogy find their homes in the Spanish lands.
These iconic Spaghetti Westerns were filmed in a handful of sites including Fort Bravo/Texas Hollywood, Mini Hollywood, Western Leone and El Condor.
Throughout the ’60s and early ’70s, cheap labor and barren landscapes in Almeria, Spain, served as the idyllic location for United States studios looking to do films about the Wild West, North Africa and galaxy. A sign reads ‘Texas Hollywood’ at Fort Bravo where many popular movies were filmed
Originally used by film director Sergio Leone for ‘A Fistful of Dollars’, ‘For a Few Price’ and ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’, which lead to the Spaghetti Western genre, today the ghost town it is still used to shoot many different types of films
Actors Jim Brown, Burt Reynolds and Raquel Welch on the set of ‘100 Rifles’ which was written and directed by Tom Gries and filmed in Almeria because it was cheaper, in 1969. Gries caught Typhus during the shoot and was hospitalized for three days
As the Franco Regime finished it’s last leg in Spain, the economy continued expanding and land prices steadily increased. Government focus soon turned from maintaining the international rapport with America and began focusing on national entertainment.
And with time, the barren sets left behind would become almost ghost-town like in their mystery and appeal to the outside world.
The Fort Bravo/Texas Hollywood set was constructed in the mid 1970s under an agreement with Sergio Leone and an Italian producer.
By the time it was completed, however, the film industry in Almería was on the wane.
Following the success of A Fistful of Dollars (1964), Sergio Leone commissioned Carlo Simi to construct an entire Western town for the second title in the trilogy, For a Few Dollars More. It would be known as Little Hollywood
Stuntman Rafa Molina later bought the site for $6,000 and began charging visitors to tour it.
Following the success of A Fistful of Dollars (1964), Sergio Leone commissioned Carlo Simi to construct an entire Western town for the second title in the trilogy, For a Few Dollars More. It would be known as Little Hollywood.
The town now operates as a Western theme park, with daily stunt shows, can-can dancing, and a zoo.
Mark Parascandola, a photographer born in Wisconsin but of Almerian descent, was fascinated with the plethora of abandoned sets whenever he would go back and visit the province with his family.
As the Franco Regime finished it’s last leg in Spain, the economy continued expanding and land prices steadily increased. Government focus soon turned from maintaining the international rapport with America and began focusing on national entertainment. A stuntman rides a horse in the town that is mostly used for giving tours
The Desert of Tabernas houses this deserted set that looks like an old town. Mark Parascandola, a photographer born in Wisconsin but of Almerian descent, was fascinated with the plethora of abandoned sets whenever he would go back and visit the province with his family
In Once Upon a Time In Almeria: The Legacy of Hollywood in Spain, a new book detailing the ten years he worked with local historians to document various locations, Parascandola captures the familiarity of the American settings in a foreign place
Charles Bronson on the set of Red Sun which also starred Bond girl Ursula Andress. The movie was shot in Almeria
‘It was about 10 years ago that I began visiting these locations with the aim of photographing them,’ he shared with Huck.
‘As a photographer, I was really intrigued by these locations. It’s an amazing place, because you have these amazing landscapes – but it’s an odd juxtaposition, to see this western town in the middle of a desolate landscape in the south of Spain.’
In Once Upon a Time In Almeria: The Legacy of Hollywood in Spain, a new book detailing the ten years he worked with local historians to document various locations, Parascandola captures the familiarity of the American settings in a foreign place.
The film Shalako was filmed in Almeria with Sean Connery and produced by Euan Lloyd (1968)
A Makeshift church sits at Fort Bravo surrounded by barracks (Cuartel in Spanish) and other miscellaneous town buildings
Stunt performers routinely conduct shows for the numerous tourist that come to Fort Bravo
A olde Grand Central Bank set building lies in the shadow of the evening and is housed next to a gun shop and western hotel
Beatles legend John Lennon getting his food while working on the set of ‘How I Won The War.’ It would be the musicians first straight acting role in a movie (1967)
‘They were never meant to be permanent, they were just built for the movies – for fiction,’ he explained.
‘To me, that’s interesting: that play between fiction and reality. What’s also fascinating is that even though these towns were never meant to last, [some] have actually been preserved for decades and taken on a new life.
‘But, there are other movie sets that have been abandoned in the desert and there hasn’t been an organised effort to preserve those. I think that’s unfortunate.
‘Many people actually know the locations from the films, but they’re not aware of where they were made. I think it would be great to see more of an effort to promote and preserve the film history of Almeria.’
But Westerns weren’t the only films American studios shot in Almeria. The award winning Patton (1970) had its African and Sicilian scenes shot in the province. George C Scott pictured
A hanging scaffold prop sits in the middle of the street. There is still a noose tied to the wooden structure
A deserted jail cell in Almeria
Paint peels off these swinging doors leading to an uncertain and mysterious location
A lone American flag is placed in the middle of what looks like a fortress or barrack for an armed force
Stunt actors get in a fight during a performance for tourist in Almeria
The sun sets in Almeria but lights remain on in a few of the deserted structures in this now popular tourist destination