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Puerto Vallarta Art & Culture
Puerto
Vallarta Art & Culture
History of Puerto Vallarta
Introduction to Puerto
Vallarta
Puerto
Vallarta Bullfights
Puerto
Vallarta ArtWalk
Puerto
Vallarta Cultural Events
Puerto
Vallarta Art Galleries
Puerto
Vallarta Hidden Art Studios
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Vallarta Theater
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Vallarta
Cultural
Sites
Puerto
Vallarta
Churches &
Cathedrals
Puerto
Vallarta
Cultural
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Puerto
Vallarta
Historical
Sites
Puerto
Vallarta
Malecon
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Vallarta
Villages
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The filming of Night
of the Iguana in
Puerto Vallarta
In 1963, John Huston and
Guillermo Wulff, a Mexican
architect and engineer, met in
the lounge of the Beverly Hills
Hotel and set plans in motion to
film Tennessee William's play,
Night of the Iguana.
It was Wulff who suggested the
jungles of Mismaloya for the
film's making, believing the
isolated jungles and hidden
beaches would provide the exotic
atmosphere needed to make the
film believable.
At the time, the area had no
modern roads, phones or even
electricity. The crew
actually built structures,
including cabins for the cast
and a movie set, from nothing.
The descriptions of the cast by
Houston described the time spent
filming as a "true vacation.
A time of friends." And,
similar to today's pop culture,
the cast was a myriad of affairs
and eccentricities. Elizabeth
Taylor, then married to Eddie
Fisher, accompanied Richard
Burton although she was not
actually in the film- a
misconception often heard in
stories related to Puerto
Vallarta and the production of
Night of the Iguana.
Tennessee Williams traveled with
his lover, Freddy. Sue
Lyon, daughter of Ava Gardner,
was escorted by her then
otherwise married boyfriend.
Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr
completed the group, making six.
In jest, Huston gave the stars a
gold derringer each inscribed
with the six names of the group.
When the press arrived to cover
the celebrities activities, they
were aptly impressed with the
charm of the simple fishing
village and spread the word.
Puerto Vallarta quickly grew in
popularity. It wasn't long
before celebrities estates were
being built- many designed and
developed by Wulff.
Richard Burton and Elizabeth
Taylor later married in Puerto
Vallarta. They built
several homes and remained for
years.
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Movie Plot: Night of
the Iguana
Richard Burton plays Reverend T.
Lawrence Shannon, a minister
expelled from his Virginia
church who travels to Mexico in
search of his sanity and
self-respect. He finds
himself as a bus tour guide,
leading a group of women on an
adventure to see "the miracles
of god... by a man of god."
The 17 year old nymphet,
Charlotte Goodall (played by Sue
Lyon) is persistent with her
advances on the minister,
creating chaotic events for both
he and the other characters,
leading to the hijacking of the
bus and a wild ride through the
jungle to a remote hotel of the
widow, Maxine Falk, played by
Ava Gardner where the demure
Hanna Jelkes is added to the
mix.
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