SILVERADO
DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY LAWRENCE KASDAN
DELPHI TV PRODUCTION
COLUMBIA PICTURES
INFORMATION FROM IMDb
Plot Summary
In 1880, four men travel together to the city of Silverado.
They come across many dangers before they finally engage the "bad guys"
and bring peace and equality back to the city.
Written by Chris Makrozahopoulos
Full Cast
Kevin Kline ... Paden
Scott Glenn ... Emmett
Kevin Costner ... Jake
Danny Glover... Mal
Marvin J. McIntyre ... Clerk
Brad Leland ... Trooper (as Brad Williams)
Sheb Wooley ... Cavalry Sergeant
Jon Kasdan ... Boy at Outpost
John Cleese ... Sheriff Langston
Todd Allen ... Deputy Kern
Bill Thurman ... Carter
Meg Kasdan ... Barmaid
Dick Durock ... Bar Fighter
Gene Hartline ... Bar Fighter
Autry Ward ... Hat Thief
Rosanna Arquette ... Hannah
Rusty Meyers ... Conrad
James Gammon ... Dawson
Troy Ward ... Baxter
Kenny Call ... Deputy Block
Brian Dennehy ... Cobb
Linda Hunt ... Stella
Jeff Goldblum ... Slick
Ray Baker ... McKendrick
Joe Seneca ... Ezra
Lynn Whitfield ... Rae
Jeff Fahey ... Tyree
Jake Kasdan ... Stable Boy (as Jacob Kasdan)
Patricia Gaul ... Kate
Zeke Davidson ... Mr. Parker
Amanda Wyss ... Phoebe
Lois Geary ... Mrs. Parker
Earl Hindman ... J.T.
Thomas Wilson Brown ... Augie (as Tom Brown)
Roy McAdams ... Tall outlaw
Jim Haynie ... Bradley
Richard Jenkins ... Kelly
Jerry Biggs ... Bartender
Sam Gauny ... Deputy Garth
Ken Farmer ... Deputy Kyle
Bill McIntosh ... Deputy Charlie
Charles Seybert ... Shopkeeper
Jane Beauchamp ... Neighbor Woman
Jerry Block ... Townsman
Ben Zeller ... Townsman
Pepe Serna ... Scruffy
Ted White ... Hoyt
Ross Loney ... Red
Walter Scott ... Swann
Bob Terhune ... Guard Cowboy
Mark Kasdan ... Doc Skinner (scenes deleted)
Matthew Hotsinpiller ... Townsperson (uncredited)
Brion James ... Hobart (uncredited)
Richard Lester ... Saloon patron (uncredited)
Bob Morgan ... McKendrick Man (uncredited)
Produced
Michael Grillo ... executive producer
Lawrence Kasdan ... producer
Mark Kasdan ... associate producer
Charles Okun ... executive producer
Music
Bruce Broughton
Cinematography
John Bailey ... director of photography
Trivia
In the scene where Augie tries to jump on Jake's horse and falls to the ground,
the horse is wearing Jake's hat.
This was Costner's idea just before the camera's rolled to keep with his character's goofy nature.
Kasdan loved the idea and it stayed in the film.
In keeping with his English character, Sheriff John Langston (John Cleese) of Turley
is armed with an English Enfield Mark II double action revolver.
Although correct for the time period of the movie, Silverado (1985)
apparently marks the only ever appearance of this weapon
in an American western film.
The set for Silverado (1985) was built for this movie and has since been used
in such movies as Young Guns (1988), Wyatt Earp (1994) (also starring Kevin Costner),
Last Man Standing (1996), Lonesome Dove (1989), All the Pretty Horses (2000)
and Wild Wild West (1999) (also starring Kevin Kline).
In the latter film, as a reference to director Lawrence Kasdan,
"Kasdan Ironworks" can be seen on the side of one of the buildings.
Kevin Costner was offered the role of Jake by Lawrence Kasdan,
in part to make up for his role in The Big Chill (1983) being cut out of that film.
John Cleese's first line, "What's all this then?", is a Monty Python in-joke,
as that line was often uttered by policemen upon entering the scene
of a crime on Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969).
Cook Ranch, twenty-five miles from the heart of Santa Fe, New Mexico,
served as the site for the town of Silverado.
Production designer Ida Random and set designers Bill Elliott (aka William A. Elliott),
Chas. Butcher, and Richard McKenzie had the challenging task of totally
creating the forty building western town.
From a vast body of historical reference, Random and her team,
and a construction crew of 140, designed and built such structures as the Midnight Star Saloon, a hotel, and a church. Construction coordinator Clarence Lynn Price and his able crew completed the town in twelve weeks, in less than desirable conditions . . . below freezing temperatures and winds as high as sixty miles per hour.
When Paden (Kevin Kline) is in his long red underwear talking with Cobb,
Deputy Kyle (Ken Farmer) comes up and spits tobacco on the ground between Kline's legs.
The spitting, and the look the two men exchange, is all improvised.
Earl Hindman plays Wilson on Home Improvement (1991) where the lower half of his face
is always obscured. In the scene where the house is on fire,
he appears gagged, with the lower half of his face obscured.
The planned sequel, as reflected in the films final line, never materialized.
Director and producer Lawrence Kasdan cast two of his children and his wife
in small roles in the film.
His brother and co-writer Mark Kasdan
also had a small role as a doctor that was filmed but ended up on the cutting room floor.
Debut theatrical feature film of actor Richard Jenkins.
First ever western of Kevin Costner who would later go on to star in
Wyatt Earp (1994), Open Range (2003) and his Best Picture Oscar winning
Dances with Wolves (1990) which won seven Academy Awards in total.
Responsible for the film's more than 100 horses, 500 cattle, pigs, chickens
and other assorted animals, all necessary to create a real atmosphere,
were livestock coordinator Corky Randall and his wranglers.
Randall and stunt coordinator Jerry Gatlin spent four weeks with the stars,
rehearsing them in the art of riding.
Eaves Ranch, aka Eaves Movie Ranch, used for the filming of such features as
The Cheyenne Social Club (1970), Butch and Sundance: The Early Days (1979),
A Gunfight (1971) and Red Sky at Morning (1971), was transformed into
the Mexican village and cavalry outpost of Chimayo. The town of Turley,
which all four of the film's heroes pass through, was also constructed
on the Eaves Ranch.
Remnants of past film sets were restored, along with the complete construction
of eight additional buildings to create an authentic 1880s setting.
The Rio Grande River and the Tesuque and Nambe areas were the settings
for some of the film's action packed chases.
The Midnight Star Saloon was purchased some time around 2001
and moved to Melody Ranch Studio in California, where it can now be seen in its western town.
Most of Rosanna Arquette' s scenes apparently ended up on the cutting room floor,
including what was implied as a romance with Kevin Kline's character, Paden.
For an actress with little screen time, she received very high billing in the opening credits.
Despite the notorious financial and critical failure of the epic western
Heaven's Gate (1980), within five years Hollywood had produced
a new mini-cycle of westerns.
In 1985, in addition to this film, there was Pale Rider (1985),
Lust in the Dust (1985), and Rustlers' Rhapsody (1985), then ¡Three Amigos! (1986)
followed the next year.
Second of six cinema movie collaborations [to date, September 2015]
of actor Kevin Kline and director Lawrence Kasdan.
The films include Silverado (1985), Grand Canyon (1991), French Kiss (1995),
The Big Chill (1983), Darling Companion (2012) and I Love You to Death (1990).
Three of the movie's lead actors had been previously cast in Lawrence Kasdan's
earlier film The Big Chill (1983), they being Kevin Kline, Jeff Goldblum,
and Kevin Costner. However, the latter's scenes all got deleted,
so only two of them appeared in the final cut of The Big Chill (1983), but all three appear in Silverado (1985). Actress Patricia Gaul also appeared in both pictures in minor roles.
The principal photography period on this film's production ran for
approximately ninety-six days.
With a cast and crew of 204, Silverado was scheduled to shoot for only sixty-six days,
entirely on location in and around Santa Fe, New Mexico, it being the oldest capital
and second oldest city in the United States of America.
The picture began principal photography on 26th November 1984 after four weeks of rehearsals.
The third theatrical feature film directed by Lawrence Kasdan.
One of numerous collaborations of editor Carol Littleton and writer-director Lawrence Kasdan.
The movie's closing credits declare that the picture was "filmed entirely on location in New Mexico".
Debut theatrical feature film of actor Jeff Fahey.
The picture was nominated for two Academy Awards - for Best Sound and Best Original
- but failed to win an Oscar in either category.
With a cast of 54, plus 500 extras, the enormous task of designing and preparing
costumes fell to costume designer Kristi Zea and her staff of four.
Through extensive research and conferences with director Lawrence Kasdan,
Zea and her talented team created distinctly different silhouettes,
especially for the four heroes, to make them instantly identifiable on screen.
First of two westerns of director Lawrence Kasdan, whose second would be Wyatt Earp (1994).
Both movies starred Kevin Costner, and were made nine years apart.
The nickname of Calvin Stanhope (Jeff Goldblum) was "Slick".
Actress Meg Kasdan said that when she, the barmaid in the scene
where Mal comes in to get a drink and a bed, and her two sons
who play young kids who each had one line like their
appear briefly in this film and also in The Big Chill (1983),
it was their way of "sending a postcard" to friends and family
to show them how they were doing.
The picture features a natural landscape environment as a key setting,
which has been the trademark of such Lawrence Kasdan written
and/or directed movies such as Silverado (1985), Wyatt Earp (1994),
Darling Companion (2012), Grand Canyon (1991), Continental Divide (1981),
and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).
First of three films to co-star Kevin Kline and John Cleese.
They would also work together in "A Fish Called Wanda" and "Fierce Creatures".
Interestingly too, John Cleese took over Kevin Kline's role as the Police commissioner
in Steve Martin's "Pink Panther" film series.
The cast included one actor and one actress, who have won Best Supporting Acting Academy Awards.
Kevin Kline for A Fish Called Wanda (1988), and Linda Hunt for
The Year of Living Dangerously (1982).
Following completion of principal photography, editor Carol Littleton and director
Lawrence Kasdan moved to Los Angeles to complete the film's post-production.
Two of the movie's lead cast were first named "Kevin" -
they being actors Kevin Kline and Kevin Costner.
Tent Rocks, Pecos River and Ghost Ranch offered the varied terrains, such as desert,
meadows and rocky inclines, necessary for some of the film's more panoramic scenes
created by director of photography John Bailey.
Spoilers
In the final scene, Cobb is standing in front of the desert ,
which looks like the abyss.
Paden is standing in front of the church. Classic good versus evil.
Goofs
Anachronisms
After the duel between Cobb and Paden and in the final scene, a 50-star US flag
is visible hanging in front of a building.
In the 1880s, this should have been a 38-star flag.
'Float' glass is used in window glazing throughout the film,
a flatter more uniform glass made in large sheets by a modern industrial rolling process
not available at the time. Glass used in 1880 Silverado should be wavy 'cylinder'
glass of the period. Cylinder glass was made by hand blowing glass into cylinders
which are then cut down the side in a straight line when cooled,
reheated and flattened out into small panes with noticeably irregular surfaces.
The movie is set in the early 1880s. When the settlers open their cash box
to show Baxter and Hawley the money they've been promised to escort the settlers
to Silverado, we see the 1886 Martha Washington $1 silver certificate,
the 1917 George Washington $1 legal tender note, the 1907 (or 1922)
Michael Hillegas $10 gold certificate, and the 1907 Andrew Jackson $5 legal tender note.
The 1917 Washington $1 is distinguishable from other issues by two indicators:
the small red seal on the left, and the serial number below the seal,
which is not in a dark gray box. The 1907 Jackson $5 is distinguishable
from other issues by two indicators: the small red seal on the right,
and the small red Roman Numeral V on the left. The 1907 (or 1922)
Michael Hillegas $10 gold certificate is distinguishable from the
1922 Ulysses Grant $50 gold certificate by the shape of the white shirt
in the portrait at center, and by the lower-right corner border around the encircled number.
Pane glass is shown being used throughout the film.
However, this wasn't available in large quantities until the early 20th century
20-30 after the setting the of the film.
Any glass used in Silverado should be wave type of glass.
Continuity
Paden's horse changes as they ride away from Turley with the posse in pursuit.
At first it has a white star on its forehead, but later it has a white stripe
the length of its nose.
When Jake exits the saloon and shoots two bad guys simultaneously, the pistol
in his right hand is clearly pointed at the ground when it is discharged,
the muzzle blast and smoke follow a trajectory at a downward angle toward Tyree's boots.
Today they could have easily fixed this problem if had they used a
non-firing replica weapon and added the muzzle flash and smoke plume as a visual effect in post.
All the VFX editor would have to do is wait a fraction of a second longer
in Jake's draw as the pistol came to level before adding the gunshot effects.
During the showdown in Silverado, Emmett is shot in his right leg,
in a spot visible from most angles.
After racing the horse to another end of town, and killing him,
there is a shot of Emmett on the horse where you can see almost his entire right leg,
and no bullet hole is visible, either in his leg or pants.
Jake's paint horse changes throughout the movie.
There are at least three paints that he uses.
When the little boy is rescued by Jake and Emmett, the horse's rump coloring changes
from the time the little boy looks down to Jake and when he jumps from the roof top
to land on the horse.
In most scenes, the breath of the actors and the horses is not seen even though
it is supposed to be in the winter.
When Emmet is caught by the deputies, the second lasso catches him around the ankles.
In the next shot, this rope is up around his thighs and his feet are free,
and then in the next shot the rope is back around his ankles.
The gallows in Turley, when on fire; in the latter scene the flames are a
lot less intense than the previous scene, and there is less damage to the gallows
in the latter scene.
During the final showdown we see shadows from the buildings on the left,
but in the next shot there are no shadows at all.
In the final conflict scene when Jake is riding bareback on his Pinto
into town to confront his nemesis, his reins are tied in a knot.
When he arrives at the hitching post in town, however, the reins are draped loosely
over the Pinto's back.
There are numerous errors where snow is visible and snow is not visible.
While saving Augie from McKendrick's ranch, when Emmett jumps through the window,
the gun of the bad guy holding Augie isn't cocked. When the camera angle changes,
and Emmett shoots him, his gun is now cocked.
When Slick looks for Rae and discovers Stella's secret hideout,
he runs to it and looks out towards the street in front of the tavern.
You can still see people walking around, even though everyone cleared the streets
when they heard a shootout was about to occur.
As Rae is coming down the stairs to talk to Mal when they see each other for the first time,
her dress has a ruffle across her shoulders, flapping in the breeze.
She talks to Mal and the camera cuts between them,and also has a side view.
When the camera cuts back to her, the ruffle is neatly tucked into her shawl
without her having adjusted her shawl at all.
When Paden shoots Cobb, the wide angle view shows Cobb starting to spin to his left.
In the solo shot immediately after that, in addition to a pause that should
not be shown as Cobb reacts to the bullet hitting, he spins the other direction before falling.
Crew or equipment visible
In the saloon in Turley, there is a shadow in the doorway behind the bar of the actor
playing the saloon keeper waiting for his cue. He comes out to confront Mal.
Factual errors
Making his escape from the jail Danny Glover's character throws a knife
with his thick arm stuck through the bars and kills the deputy instantaneously
with a deeply penetrating knife wound to the chest.
he throw angle has been cheated to make it look like he has room to freely throw
the knife making the throw trajectory nearly parallel to the jail cell bars
when in reality the entrance door the the deputy enters the room through
is directly opposite, perpendicular to Glover's position in his cell.
Glover couldn't have drawn his arm back far enough to impart much force to the big knife.
The knife would have had to been thrown with great force in order to break
or slice through the bone of the deputy's rib cage/sternum and penetrate deeply enough
into the heart or lungs to inflict a fatal wound.
This type of wound isn't instantly fatal as portrayed, exsanguination would take minutes,
the deputy would not hit the floor instantaneously upon impact of the knife.
He would be animate, still breathing and writhing until eventually
losing consciousness from blood loss or drowning from blood accumulating in the lungs.
Miscellaneous
If Jake and Emmitt have the last name of Hollis, why do his sister,
brother-in-law, and little Augie also use the last name of Hollis?
The story takes place in the winter, and in the mountains (snow on the ground)
so why are the women wearing sleeveless tops?
Revealing mistakes
Emmett is left handed throughout the movie.
In the shootout at the end he has the gun in his left hand and the very next scene
he gets shot in the right leg and his gun drops out of his right hand
instead of being in the left hand where it was prior.
When Mal stabs Slick rescuing Rae in the shed, the rifle shown leaning up
against the wall is not a Henry. (Note side feed port). A Winchester.
After saving the wagon trains money from the gang in the canyon, Emmet,
Paden and Mal are sitting on horseback talking as the wagon train moves
from right to left behind them.
One wagon can be seen with the wagon tongue clearly broken and being dragged behind the lead team. The only way the team is attached to the wagon is by the reins in the drivers hands.
Filming Locations
White Rock, New Mexico, USA (opening scene)
Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico, USA
Abiquiu, New Mexico, USA
Cook Ranch, Galisteo, New Mexico, USA
Eaves Movie Ranch - 105 Rancho Alegre Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Galisteo, New Mexico, USA
Nambe, New Mexico, USA
White Rock Overlook, Black Mesa, New Mexico, USA
Bonanza Creek Ranch - 15 Bonanza Creek Lane, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, USA
Tent Rocks, Cochiti Pueblo, New Mexico, USA