The film THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES is set during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood), a Missouri farmer, becomes involved in the war when his wife and son are killed by Northern soldiers. He swears revenge and joins a group of southern soldiers. He makes a name for himself as a feared gunfighter and becomes the outlaw of the title.
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| The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1:42:53 |
Filming started on 6 October 1975 and would last for two months at various locations in the states of California, Arizona and Utah. In the latter state is the former town of Paria, near the Nevada border and part of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Kane County. The town was founded in 1865 by Mormons. After several years of growth, more and more residents left Paria due to frequent floodings.
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Paria, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, 10 July 2023
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The last resident was a lone bachelor who left in 1929. After the fast-growing film industry discovered the ghost town with its canyon vista background, numerous films, mostly westerns, were shot here from the 1930s onwards. Over the years, the village fell into disrepair. New sets were built but no more films were made after The Outlaw Josey Wales. Volunteers built a new set in the late 1990s, which was destroyed in a fire in 2006.
All that remains of Paria now is the graveyard and a faded information sign.
In the film Paria is seen as Santa Rio. Wales arrives in this town when he and Little Moonlight (Geraldine Keams), a young Navajo woman, have freed three people from the hands of a marauding gang.
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| The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1:42:53 |
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| Paria, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, 10 July 2023 |
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| The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1:29:31 |
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| Paria, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, 10 July 2023 |
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| The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1:29:36 |
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| Paria, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, 10 July 2023 |
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| The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1:29:37 |
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| Paria, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, 10 July 2023 |
At the end of the film, Josey Wales returns briefly to Santa Rio.
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| The Outlaw Josey Wales, 2:13:30 |
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| Paria, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, 10 July 2023 |
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| Paria, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, 10 July 2023 |
Screenshots ©
Warner Bros. Inc.
