Hollywood Motion Picture History
San Carlos Bay, Nuevo Guaymas Sonora
Movies in San Carlos
The beauty of the Mediterranean is joined with the desert in this great natural wonder.
San Carlos and in general, the entire State of Sonora, have always seemed to be in the eyes of film and soap opera producers, a secret all movie producers probably try to keep, especially due to the beauty of the landscape in this part of the country and ease of work for film producers.
Sonora, "the Hollywood of Mexico” is only hours away from the Los Angeles market and continues to be a picturesque state destined for immortal fame. California film producers in their study of various locations for new film productions have not stopped short of always coming back to good ole San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico.
One of the most important additions to the San Carlos glamour is undoubtedly the filming of the 1997 box office smash hit, "The Mask of Zorro". This has been considered one of the highest-budget movies ever produced in Mexico. Its producers “Tri-Star Pictures” chose this desert-sandy beach paradise of San Carlos for the on-location construction that worked perfectly within the Piedras Pintas area. The large part of the takes were shot in the area beneath the San Carlos Scenic Overlook also known in Spanish as “El Mirador”.
Hollywoods best came to enjoy the San Carlos hospitality and witnessed first hand the undeniable beauty of the region. The Mask of Zorro producers chose an equally admirable and talented roster of actors, starring the beautiful and elegant actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, action hero Antonio Banderas of spanish-cuban origin, and the well distinguished englishman Sir. Anthony Hopkins.
Mexican artists Pedro Armendariz Jr., Humberto Elizondo, and numerous "doubles" from the Sonoran area formed part of the cast and facilitated the selection process from the Guaymas-San Carlos abundance of young beauties.
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Catch 22
San Carlos has also been immortalized for the filming of several other famous movies, those of which have brought a score of other movie stars as well. In 1968, San Carlos was again on the big screen and made famous as the motion picture location of Joseph Heller´s best selling novel “Catch-22”, directed by Mike Nichols, based on World War II and filmed in this desert aquatic landscape. It is still possible to see movie producer Paramount Pictures remains of the constructions used in filming along the path from the Hotel San Carlos Plaza toward the Hotel Paradiso, on the right hand side, known as Playa Algodones.
Liza Minelli, Gene Hackman and Burt Reynolds in Mexico
20th Century Fox also had a debut filming within San Carlos with their well known movie "Lucky Lady” from the 70´s that brought to San Carlos Hollywood´s celebrities such as Golden Globe nominee Liza Minelli, along with Gene Hackman and Burt Reynolds who left an unforgettable memory for the residents of the region.
Mexican Film Making - San Carlos, Mexico
Mexican cinematography and television could not deny and ignore what Hollywood had already claimed as a winning choice location for the elite of stars and also took advantage of the San Carlos natural scenery to make more than just movies. Volkswagen Corporate Headquarters marketing center found a winning combination and decided to use the excellent road structure with easy interstate highway access to film a promotional commercial for its experimental vehicle LUPO in a circuit known as "Around the world in 80 days."
At a national level and in the latin american market, San Carlos was given the production of a popular soap opera "Por Tu Amor" which had been shown on the most important Hispanic channels of the United States, South America and Europe. Mexican cinema producers couldn´t have enough of the natural attractions and also recorded "Camaroneros" featuring actor Erick del Castillo.
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