Balsicas de Alfaro

The Balsicas de Alfaro area is above the end of the Rambla Indalecio.
You will find some buildings there including a small Cortijo ruin situated in a
prominent position on a small hill. 
This is the most popular location of the area and a "Star" in the Western Genre. 
After some dark years as "Desperado Hideout" (1966-1968) the Cortijo was dressed up into a mexican Ermita Set (1969-1971) before it ends up as Barbecue Hut for Tourists.
An early Genre Movie using the Ermita Set is the Alberto Cardone small coin Shooter "20.000 Dollars for Seven" with the Set Decorator Veterans Jose Luis Galicia and Jaime Perez Cubero being involved!!! I have no access to the exact production dates but I would nevertheless suppose that the Ermita Set was designed for the big money Giulio Petroni Western "Tepepa". 
Other sources (Books of Moya, Gaberscek) have no informations.
Carsten Thiemann (Location Archaeologist), 2010.

"Per il gusto di uccidere", 1966 
Sancho Gang
Comparison photo 2005

"Desperado Hideout"

Comparison photo 2005
Comparison photo 2007
Craig Hill
Comparison photo 2007
Fernando Sancho
Comparison photo 2007
1966
Comparison photo 2005
A marvelous Lobby Card out of the German LC Set. This camera position was very popular and it really is a great Point with a fantastic view into the Rambla Indalecio.
You will see it in many Western Movies. In "I lunghi giorni della vendetta" Giuliano Gemma stands here with his Horse. Even later productions like "I quattro dell'Apocalisse" or "Get Mean" shot a few scenes here. A great place!
Comparison photo 2007
"10.000 blutige Dollar", 1967
1967
Comparison photo 2005
Balsicas de Alfaro
Comparison photo 2005
"Dio perdona...io no!", 1967. A great Colizzi Western with Terence Hill and Bud Spencer. They shot a hard to recognize scene at Balsicas de Alfaro.
Balsicas de Alfaro, 1967
Comparison photo 2007 - A wall is already collapsed.
This photo of a 2005 expedition shows the building in better shape with all outer walls still intact.
Bill San Antonio (Frank Wolff) hurried into the Cortijo
A great comparison photo 2007 - A bit difficult to see. 
Keep in view the background on the right.
1967
Comparison photo 2007
German Lobby Card - Comparison photo 2008
"Lo voglio morto", 1968
Jose Manuel Martin (Jack Blood)
Comparison photo 2005
1968 - Blood Gang
Comparison photo 2005
Clayton and Aloma
Comparison photo 2005
Clayton (Craig Hill) - Aloma (Lea Massari) Comparison photo 2005
Fire!
Comparison photo 2005
Comparison Art 2005 - The old olive Tree was a silent Star in many movies and had
almost 50 years experience in film business. He survived all the movie productions but
could not stand the pressure of 4x4, Quad and other Helldrivers. Somebody cut him down for a barbecue. He died in 2009. What a shame!
"Twenty thousand dollar for seven", 1969. 
This dirty little Shooter used the Ermita Set which was actually prepared for the great Giulio Petroni Western "Tepepa".
See our "Tepepa" Report here: Petroni Special
Fernando Sancho is rushing through the desert with the Ermita Set in the Background.
Keep in view the grey Stone you see in front of Fernando.
Comparison photo 2009 - Halleluja, the world has changed...but this grey stone is still there! (RIP Olive Tree).
"Adios Sabata", 1970
La Ermita de Alfaro, 1970
Comparison photo 2005
The position of the "Pozo Sabata". 
This lying in a circle stones may be remains of the old the Pozo foundation.
 1970
 Comparison photo 2005
 "Lasst uns töten Companeros", 1970
 1970  2005
 Hola, buenas dias!
 Comparison photo 2005
 1970 2005
This scene was shot directly in front of the Ermita Set. 
But the Ermita itself never showed up in the Movie!
 Comparison photo 2005
 Tomas Milian (El Vasco)
 Comparison photo 2005
 Tranquilo hombre!
 2005
 Tranquilo? - Bang...bang..bang...
 Comparison photo 2005
 On the Run...
 Comparison photo 2005
Several years ago I got the permission to get inside the marvelous Companeros Monasterio Location.
See my unique Location Archaeology Report with lots of rarely seen interior shots here: Monasterio Santa Maria la Real de Valdeiglesias.
Tomas Milian and Director Sergio Corbucci on the Set in El Argamason (Almeria).
 "The Deserter", 1970
 1970
Comparison photo 2008
German Lobby Card Comparison photo 2008
Capt.Kaleb (Bekim Fehmiu) in the entrance of the Ermita de Alfaro Set.
This Still shows a rare scene because it was really shot in that Balsica de Alfaro Ermita on the small hill. 
The entire rest of the Ermita sequence was shot somewhere else.
I have not made a research for it so far. If you have any ideas, let me know.
Well, whenever a movie production in the 70ths needed a Church for inside Shots they very often used the great Church of the Estudios Madrid 70 Set in Daganzo. 
But not in this case. A Studio Shot?
Comparison photo 2007
1970/2007
Capt.Kaleb (Bekim Fehmiu) and Natachai (Ricardo Montalban) inside a church.
It looks really good and more like an on location shot and not a Studio fake.
Where have they filmed these scenes?
I have never been inside the Texas Hollywood Church, which might be a possibility.
German Lobby Card
Comparison photo 2004 - Today the most walls of this building have already collapsed.
Still Comparison Killer 2004
Comparison photo Art, 2005. 
Patrick Wayne (Son of John Wayne) plays a round of chess with Fausto Tozzi on the Deserter Set at Balsicas de Alfaro.
The Barranco de la Fuente is a small junction of the Rambla Indalecio and near by
the Ermita de Alfaro Set. Some great scenes of "The Deserter" have been shot there.
The loam hut of Chato ("Chatos Land") was built in the Barranco. 
Different other Movies filmed scenes in the small Barranco de la Fuente. 
"The Deserter" Still - Barranco de la Fuente.
Comparison photo 2007 - The Barranco changed dramatically over the years, especially in the last few years. My comparison of 2007 gives you a first impression.
Soon I will update my old report with new material: Barranco de la Fuente
"Chatos Land", 1971
This Cortijo Set was a Special Set for "Chatos Land", built around and on (a new floor!) an old real building. In the movie it is the Cortijo of Ezra Meade (Peter Dyneley).
Comparison photo 2005
1971 - Jacob Meade (Clive Endersby)
Comparison photo 2005
1971/2005
The Hookers arriving at Cortijo Meade
Comparison photo 2005
1971 2005
Ezra and his Son Jacob Meade are not going to help the Quincey Posse.
The dead Sheriff was a "Redneck with a loud mouth and a gun".
Comparison photo 2005
Jubal Hooker (Simon Oakland) and his two sons (Richard Jordan, Ralph Waite). Comparison photo 2005
1971 Comparison photo 2005
1971 2005
Ezra Meade (Peter Dyneley): "Don't give me the pleasure"
Comparison photo 2005
"The Hunting Party", 1971
The Caulder Gang
Comparison photo 2005
1971
Comparison photo 2005
The Caulder Gang was shot to pieces
Comparison photo 2008
La Ermita de Alfaro
Comparison photo 2008
Frank Caulder (Oliver Reed)
Comparison photo 2008
Doc is wounded
Comparison photo 2008
Frank Caulder (Oliver Reed) and Doc (Mitch Ryan)
Comparison photo 2008
Still - Balsicas de Alfaro
Comparison photo 2005
French Lobby Card German Lobby Card
Frank Caulder
Comparison photo 2005
Frank is running wild...
Comparison photo 2005
La Ermita de Alfaro
Comparison photo 2005
"Il mio nome e Shanghai Joe", 1973
1973
Comparison photo 2005
Shanghai Joe
Comparison photo 2005
1973
Comparison photo 2005 - After the fighting fists of Shanghai Joe the Balsicas Sets got a middle Eastern touch for a german KARL MAY production: Rambla Indalecio y el Cine
Carlo Gaberscek ("Il vicino West") lists only a handful of movies for the Balsicas Cortijo Set including "Per 100.000 dollari t'ammazzo".
Actually you can only see the Balsicas prairie for a very few seconds in this movie and not one of the buildings! But I can offer somethin special for this Spaghetti Western. We discovered the unknown Mine location of "Per 100.000 dollari t'ammazzo":
Mina de Azufre
 Comparison photo 2008

Rambla Indalecio

Tepepa

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