Travel Directions:
Follow Hwy 9 (also known as Township Road 282) 6.5 km
east of Beiseker to Range Road 252 (watch for the brown
“Grande Ole West Villa Ranch” sign). Turn right
(south) onto Range Road 252, go 1.6 km. The ranch is
behind the overgrown thicket on the east (left) side of
the road.
Remarks:
The filming of a major motion picture here, “way the
hell out in the middle of nowhere,” was
understandably a big event. Those on the scene during the
shooting process recall many interesting details: the
actors arrived in PT Cruisers; great effort was made to
avoid including power lines in the shots; every scene was
shot and re-shot many times. “They must have folded
the shirts in that bag a hundred times,” said
someone who was there to watch.
At one point (Actors Guild?) work rules
required an end to shooting for the day, but Heath Ledger
waived these and shooting continued into the night.
Committed to authenticity, Ledger also voluntarily
participated in the shooting of Roberta Maxwell’s
lines, though a double had been assigned this task.
Important:
Always obtain appropriate permission before entering
private property. Those planning to enter should bring
flashlights and be cautious of loose or missing
floorboards and railings. The building has been the
subject of pilferage and vandalism. Please leave all that
you find intact out of respect for the history, both real
and fictional, of this powerful place.
Quotation:
“Thank you for this.”
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