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Las Caletas, home of John Huston |
In the early 60's Puerto Vallarta was a small town of only two thousand inhabitants, a sleepy fisherman village which had only one road that connected it to the rest of Mexico, this primitive road was most of the time impassable during the rainy season.
John Huston arrived by air to this picturesque little harbor and was delighted with the natural wonders and the friendly people he encountered in this isolated location.
In the year 1962 he & Ray Stark decided to film a movie there that would allow the whole world to get to know Puerto Vallarta and the “hidden paradise” of Mismaloya, one of the most extraordinary places around the country, which you should not miss.
Mismaloya at the time was a perfect combination of pristine water, soft sandy beaches with a lush jungle background that he compared to the South Seas and no other place, only accessible by sea. It was one of the reasons why John Huston decided that this beautiful place was to be part of one of his famous movies.
In 1962, Huston conceived a plan to make the movie "The Night of the Iguana" with the famous producer Ray Stark. As the original work by playwright, Tennessee Williams, was set in Acapulco, Mexico, they thought Mismaloya would be the ideal place to bring it to life and Stark was sure Huston was the best election for director, for at that time he was already considered a true guru of all things related to this beautiful nation.
John for his part desired to return to Mexico, he is quoted saying that he always returned to Mexico because “it’s one of the countries I like best in the World”, so he greatly appreciated this project and it also seemed a great opportunity to work on a play by Tennessee Williams, whom he considered a genius capable of presenting very complicated characters exceptionally well.
The decision to use a location in Puerto Vallarta to film "The Night of the Iguana" was, according to Huston, because just as with the actors he chose, the real location helped improve a movie by creating a true and believable atmosphere, in Huston’s words: “The location, just like an actor, gives something to the picture, you know, envelops it in an atmosphere.” The actors agreed to film somewhere exotic, but John Huston chose this remote place in Puerto Vallarta, where there were no telephones, roads, electricity or running water.
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John Huston and Las Caletas |
It is interesting that as Director of Cinematography, John Huston chose a pioneer of the golden age of Mexican movies, Gabriel Figueroa. “The cameraman is, of course, cast for the picture just the same as an actor would be,” said Huston. “You decide what you want on the screen and then go to the right man for that.” Figueroa's wonderful black and white cinematography also earned him an Academy Award nomination.
Thanks to the reunion of so many different and famous personalities to shoot the movie, the already famous John Huston in his 25th cinema production, and the presence of some other major celebrities like Ava Gardner and Liz Taylor who came accompanying Richard Burton, made the movie a media sensation and was in the news more than any other production that year, this was the start of Vallarta as a tourist destination.
The media were expecting lots of scandals during the production, but nothing happened as everything went “smooth as silk” as Huston said. So when nothing happened they turned to Vallarta for their news and this, as Huston stated, “that was the beginning of its popularity, which was a mixed blessing.'
After shooting the movie, John Huston decided to install himself for some time in the rustic, Las Caletas, within the Chacala Indian community near a place called Boca de Tomatlan, he leased the land for ten years, with an option for 10 more years, and after that period both the field and anything he had built would pass over to the Indian community.
He stated that living in Las Caletas was like living out in the open, at night all kinds of creatures such as badgers, deer, ocelots, boa constrictors, jaguars, etc. came to inspect their domain. Beautiful and unique sunrises and unforgettable sunsets and a huge variety of marine life framed John Huston’s Las Caletas home from the sea side.
When you read Huston’s words, it is very clear he felt inspired, happy and peaceful while living in the unspoiled little paradise he carved out for himself on the Jalisco coast, not only did he enjoy the weather, the nature and the surroundings, but was actually following some old Irish advice that states that it is a good idea as an older man, to live close to the sea, as it: “stops old wounds from hurting. It revives the spirit. It quickens the mind and body, yet lends tranquility to the soul.”
In short, his time in Las Caletas was surely a beautiful time in his life and a home, second to none, during his older years, which he always carried close to his heart and, not surprisingly, still today it is considered one of the best resorts destinations around the World.
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