Ace in the Hole (1951) – Filming Locations
Drama · Directed by Billy Wilder · Starring Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling
An arrogant reporter exploits a story about a man trapped in a cave to revitalize his career.
Where was Ace in the Hole filmed?
- Gallup, New Mexico, United States, Gallup – Main setting where the mining accident occurs and the media circus unfolds around the trapped miner. Wilder chose Gallup, a real mining town, to lend authenticity to the story of Kirk Douglas's unscrupulous reporter exploiting a mining disaster for headlines
- Gallup, New Mexico, United States, Gallup – Scenes involving local authorities and official response to the mining disaster. The actual courthouse provides a backdrop for the bureaucratic response to the crisis and amplifies the film's critique of institutional indifference
- Gallup, New Mexico, United States, Gallup – Wide shots of the desert terrain and carnival atmosphere that develops around the trapped miner. The New Mexico desert landscape surrounding Gallup emphasizes the isolation and the media's descending carnival of exploitation