Euro-Western - On Set / Colmenar Viejo - La Dehesa de Navalvillar

Candice Bergen and Oliver Reed during a break in filming 'The Hunting Party' in Colmenar Viejo (Madrid, Spain).
Don Medford, a veteran TV Director, lensed the surprisingly nihilistic and rough Euro-Western in the dusty plains of Spain.
Lots of gritty violence and dozens of exploding blood bags to simulate bullet impacts (squibs).
A bloody Makeup show designed by spanish experts like Manuel Baquero (SP/FX work for many Spaghetti Western), 
José Antonio Sánchez ('Conan the Barbarian') and Ramón de Diego ('Guns of the Magnificent Seven').
The cinematography of Cecilio Paniagua ('Custer of the West', '100 Rifles', 'Treasure Island') is excellent, with 
splendid shots of the spanish locations. 
He very well shows the great distance between hunter (Gene Hackman) and prey (Oliver Reed). 
Despite plenty of Fiesta and Spanish wine, Ollie is in great shape. A brilliant actor!
Candice Bergen, Gene Hackman and the supporting cast are all fine.
A production of pretty good quality. In parts somewhat monotonous, but always gripping!
7/10

Director Don Medford (1917–2012) on Set in Colmenar Viejo talking with Candice Bergen, 1971.
The construction crew built a School Set with a small toilet cabin in the Dehesa de Navalvillar of Colmenar Viejo.
The whole Set was removed straight after the filming was finished.

Candice Bergen in front of the School Set with some kids.
These kids are locals from Colmenar Viejo (and surrounding areas) and some are the kids of the spanish Extras/Crew in the movie.
Candice Bergen in the Dehesa de Navalvillar with her dog. 
I have lots of photos showing Candice and her dog in Spain. Obviously a Schnauzer, someone knows his name?
Movie Scene - Candice Bergen next to the School. 
You can see the toilet cabin and the famous Pico San Pedro (mount) in the background. 
Comparison photo 2009 - La Dehesa de Navalvillar - Pico San Pedro.
The sleazy train sequence with the Hackman posse and a bunch of hookers. A special service of the train company.
On the right is Candice Bergen with her camera. She takes photos during the shooting.
Candice Bergen is an enthusiastic photographer. 
She always had her camera ready to hand during the filming of 'The Hunting Party' in Spain.
Incredibly many western films were filmed in the Dehesa de Navalvillar (Colmenar Viejo) and several interesting film sets were built.
Here we see 'The Desperados' (Henry Levin, 1969) attacking a small town in Kansas (Spain!).
A remarkable Western Town Set built by Augusto Lega y Felix Michelena (Decorados Cinematograficos Lega y Michelena, S.L.) 
at the end of the year 1963. 
Learn more about this Set and all the other movie mysteries of the Dehesa de Navalvillar here: spaghetti-a-la-colmenar.
Comparison photo August 2011 - The Western town of 'Lega y Michelena' is now a Spanish military base.
To be exact, 'St.Thomas' (Kansas, USA) is now the Helicopter base 'FAMET'.
The Dehesa de Navalvillar was not only a location for Western movies.
Several great Genre productions and Epic movies ('Alexander the Great') used the open plains of the Dehesa as terrific location.
Here we see the preparations of a large-scale scene for 'Spartacus', 1960, with the Pico San Pedro in the background.
From a distance the Roman Army appears as solid blocks. In the foreground is the Army of former slaves.
The two armies were composed of the Spanish Army (!).
Their soldiers were also 'booked' as Extras for other large Epics (Samuel Bronston).

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