Let us know the filming locations of Comanche Station. Comanche Station is the final chapter in the fan-favorite Ranown Cycle by the famous director Budd Boetticher. Anyone who loves Dance with wolves will enjoy watching this 1960 gritty American CinemaScope Western movie. It was the last movie from Boetticher’s Ranown Cycle during the 1950s. One of the features of the film is its great filming location. Set in the 1960s, the movie has various amazing scenes which make the watch even more interesting.
When lone cowboy Jefferson Cody comes to know of sagas of a woman living as a prisoner of the Comanche tribe, he rides deep into the tribe’s region to trade goods for her independence. But as Cody accompanies the imprisoned woman away, she discovers that there is a sizable prize from her husband for her rescue. He will have to face brave brutal bounty hunters desirous for the prize, as well as the now-warring Comanches, to make it to safeness.
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Where Is Comanche Station Filmed?
The filming locations of Comanche Station were set in the eastern Sierra region of Central California, situated near Lone Pine, California. The Alabama Hills was the setting for the opening and climax scenes of the movie. The great valleys and the flat terrain in the Alabama Region were the perfect locations for the movie, as per the movie director’s wish. It was the reason that most of the scenes in the Comanche Station movie were shot here.
The action sequence in the movie, which is quite a lot often, were also filmed at the same location. To shoot the fast-paced action sequences, camera trucks are required to drive at a fast speed. The plain roads in the location made this possible. To capture long shots, the camera team needed to shoot from high points. It was, therefore, facilitated by the plateaus in the Alabama Hills. Edited scenes of the riders and the buggies into close-ups and medium shots were taken here.
Why Did The Director Choose Lone Pine As Comanche Station Filming Location?
As per a report issued in the portal, Senses of Cinema, the director Budd Boetticher had low budgets for his films. It is particularly true for the Ranown films. The shooting time for these films was very less, and the director had to conclude the shoots within the days allotted. Since the funding was less, the team could not go to some remote location to shoot the film. Consequently, Comanche Station’s filming locations were close to the Iverson Ranch, located within an hour’s drive from the film studio. Some of the scenes of this film were also filmed in the backlot of the studio.
Comanche Station Movie Plot
The plot of the movie is Jefferson Cody, after realizing that his wife is captured by Comanches, goes to rescue her. He, however, frees someone else’s wife and takes her home. Three delinquents, led by the charming but vicious Ben Lane, tell him that the woman’s husband has offered a $5,000 reward to anyone who brings his wife safe. It makes the woman, Mrs. Lowe, resident of Lordsburg, doubtful of Cody’s reasons for arriving at her rescue.
Lane is familiar with Cody, who supported court-martial him from the army for killing tame Indians. The Comanche is on the path of war due to contemporary scalpings. They kill Frank, one of Lane’s fellas, and make continuous shots to kill the rest of the party. Lane attaches himself to Cody, planning to make it seem like the Comanches killed Cody and take the reward for himself.
Lowe’s husband did not try to find her himself. Even the reward was conditioned as dead or alive. Lane, therefore, prefers dead thinking. She won’t be able to vow against him. He tries to ambush her and Cody, and when counterpart Dobie denies helping, Lane shoots him. Cody accompanies the woman back home, learning that her husband is blind. Before he can get the reward of $5,000, Cody rides out.
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