Albuquerqueans in particular might enjoy Lonely Are the Brave, a modern-day western filmed largely in the Sandia Mountains. Kirk Douglas is a throw-back cowboy who breaks out of jail and heads for the crest on horseback to escape the sheriff’s posse (in jeeps and helicopters). It’s in black and white and difficult to see anything in the distant shots of Albuquerque — except that there wasn’t anything anywhere close to the mountains in those days (the film was released in 1962).
Walter Matthau is the ambivalent sheriff, George Kennedy a sadistic deputy. Look for future television stars Carroll O’Connor, William Schallert and Bill Bixby.
Screenplay by Dalton Trumbo from a novel by Edward Abbey.
NewMexiKen once read that Douglas thought this was his best performance.
Thanks for the recommendation. I’m not an Albuquerque resident yet, but I was for 6 months when I was a kid and I hope someday to return for good. I like watching “In Plain Sight” to get some local color; ditto for “Breaking Bad”, although I don’t encourage my wife to watch lest she start thinking Burque City is a meth hotbed (although some parts probably are, in truth).
My favorite filmed here movie is last year’s In the Valley of Elah with the incredible Tommy Lee Jones.
The film was based on the Edward Abbey novel The Brave Cowboy, which is also excellent. I haven’t seen the film, but I believe I read it was a rather loose adaptation. In any case, I recommend the book as well. There’s another great Kirk Douglas movie “Ace in the Hole” it has another title that I can’t remember. I think it was filmed here as well and it’s awesome…dark, but awesome. I saw it at The Guild a few years ago.