Released in 1974, the classic neo-noir film titled McQ is a dark crime action movie made under the direction of John Sturges. Keeping in mind that the movie was made almost forty-nine years ago, the plot of it is pretty straightforward and to the point. The story of the film revolves around the main lead, a cop, who finds himself stuck in a police force that is not as righteous as him, so he takes it upon himself to bring an actual sense of right in them.
The movie has actor John Wayne in the role of Detective Lieutenant Lon McQ McHugh, who is a cop on a mission to do the right things. Other members of the film’s cast include Eddie Albert as Captain Edward Kosterman, Diana Muldaur as Lois Boyle, Colleen Dewhurst as Myra, Clu Gulager as Frank Toms, and David Huddleston as Edward Pinky Farrell.
The movie received relatively positive reviews from the audience and the critics, with John Wayne’s character becoming an iconic one. The movie definitely rides on his character heavily, as it is a story about Lon McQ McHugh. The rest of the cast is talented as well, but they may not be as memorable.
The direction of the film was appreciated, and so was the plot and screenplay, for its clever plot twists and revelations. The movie has certain emotional aspects, but many criticized how slow and dull the movie actually was.
The film also inspired a novel, which was published in the same year as the movie by Warner Bros. The book is not an exact copy of the film and has its own subtle differences, especially ones related to McQ McHugh. Fans of this classic noir, who may be curious to find out the different locations where the film may have been shot, can continue reading the article till the end.
McQ’s Filming Locations
Washington, USA
For the most part, the filming for this movie took place in the State of Washington, USA. To Be even more specific, the shoot for this film took place in the city of Seattle, located in Washington. The city has it all, offering anyone who visits the experience of water, forests, and even mountains.
The scene where actor John Wayne is seen getting back into his crumbled car after a long chase is said to have been shot in the residential district of southeast Capital Hill situated in Seattle. The police station where the entire police force was shown working was, in reality, the Public Safety Building, though the building itself has gone through heavy remodeling and is now completely unrecognizable.
The movie is such a classic for many older fans that many have come forward and admitted that they saw the shooting of the film while they were young.
Aberdeen, Washington, USA
While most of the film was shot in Seattle, there definitely are parts that were filmed in other portions of Washington State. One of them is Aberdeen, a city located near Grays Harbor County near the Pacific coast of Washington State. The place is popularly known for its wildlife and seafood.
One of the characters in the film, played by Colleen Dewhursts, had her house put up on State Street located in Aberdeen. A famous chase scene from the film where John Wayne’s car gets stuck and crushed between two trucks in an alleyway was shot behind the D&R theatre in the city.
Some parts of the chase scenes in the film were also filmed at the Quinault Indian Reservation located in Grays Harbor County in Washington. The part of this county that enters Point Grenville and Taholah was used extensively to make sure there was less number of people in the way.
The film includes a ton of beach scenes, and till the time the shooting for these beach scenes was ongoing, the entire film crew stayed at the Polynesian Hotel in Ocean Shores, a small city in Grays Harbor County.
Pacific Beach & Moclips
The climax of the film and most of the last scenes of the film were shot at Pacific Beach and at Moclips. Pacific Beach is a remotely populated place with a beautiful landscape and is no more than eighteen miles away from Moclips. The last car chase scene that we scene in the film was filmed on Pacific Ave right near the Moclips Beach entry point.
Moclips Beach Hotel was also one place where the last car accident scene was shot.
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