The history of Puerto Vallarta is inextricably linked with movies. One film in particular, The Night of the Iguana, changed Vallarta forever and became engrained in the town’s lore.
Before filming started on The Night of the Iguana in 1963, Puerto Vallarta was a small town of about 15,000, relatively unknown outside of Mexico. When Elizabeth Taylor joined star Richard Burton on the set for a scandalous affair, the paparazzi followed and gave the rest of the world its first glimpse of PV’s beauty. Burton and Taylor soon married (for the first of two times), and as a wedding gift, Burton bought his new wife a house downtown in a neighborhood now known as Gringo Gulch. The house, called Casa Kimberley, and its pink bridge crossing over Zaragoza Street, still stand today.
Director John Huston built a jungle home in nearby Caletas and lived there until his death in 1987. A statue of Huston sitting thoughtfully in his director’s chair, a dedication to his contributions to Puerto Vallarta, was unveiled in 1988, the 25th anniversary of the filming of The Night of the Iguana. The statue can still be seen on the Cuale River Island in the middle of town.
Today, given the tropical beauty and near-perfect weather, it’s no big surprise that Vallarta has become a bit of a movie town, complete with its own annual film festival since 2004. In the last forty-five years, a large number of movies have been shot in the area. See below for descriptions of the films, as well as side-by-side comparisons of stills from the movies and present-day photos.
The Night of the Iguana (1964)
Starring: Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr, Sue Lyon
After leaving the church due to a tryst with a Sunday school teacher, the Rev. Lawrence Shannon becomes a tour guide. Shannon is on the edge of a nervous breakdown while guiding a tour in Mexico as he avoids the advances of the young Charlotte and the wrath of her chaperone, Judith. In a fit of desperation, instead of stopping in Puerto Vallarta, he takes the group to a hotel in the jungle of Mismaloya owned by his old friend Maxine. It’s here that Shannon must face his demons.
This shot was taken on Morelos Street, with the Malecon and the Seahorse sculpture to your left. The lighthouse still stands.
Herbie Goes Bananas (1980, G)
Starring: Stephen W. Burns, Charles Martin Smith, Joaquin Garay III, Elyssa Davalos, Cloris Leachman, John Vernon
Pete, a racecar driver, and his friend D.J. go to Puerto Vallarta to pick up Herbie, a VW Beetle left to Pete by his uncle. Pete and D.J.’s plan to take the car to Rio for a race are put on hold when a young boy named Paco steals the wallets of both D.J. and Prindle, a shady treasure hunter. With Herbie’s help, Prindle’s scheme of stealing golden Incan ruins must be stopped.
The corner of 31 de Octubre Street and Paseo Diaz Ordaz Street at the start of the Malecon. The building is Hotel Rosita, PV's oldest hotel.
Revenge (1990, R)
Starring: Kevin Costner, Anthony Quinn, Madeleine Stowe
Fighter jet pilot Jay Cochran retires from the Navy and heads to Mexico for some time off. He visits old friend Tibey Mendez at his private estate outside of Puerto Vallarta. Before long, Cochran falls in love with Mendez’s trophy wife Miryea, plunging the three characters into a plot of betrayal and revenge.
This is standing by the bus stop near where David Alfaro Siqueiros Street meets Francisco Medina Ascencio, looking toward downtown.
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008, PG)
Starring: Drew Barrymore (voice), Piper Perabo, Jamie Lee Curtis
When Liv goes to Europe to promote her new line of cosmetics, she leaves her pampered chihuahua Chloe in the care of her niece Rachel. Rachel and her friends go on an impromptu vacation to Mexico, where Chloe is dognapped. Chloe must find her way back to Beverly Hills with the help of a German shepherd named Delgado.
Under Los Arcos at the end of the Malecon. The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Municipal Building can be seen.
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