The Color Purple (1985) – Filming Locations
Drama / History · Directed by Steven Spielberg · Starring Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg
An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie's abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing 'Mister' Albert Johnson, things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa.
Where was The Color Purple filmed?
- Pullman, United States, Pullman – Opening scenes establishing Celie's life in the rural South during her youth. Washington State stood in for rural Georgia in the early 1900s, providing period-appropriate rural landscape and architecture
- Chico, United States, Chico – Rural Southern plantation and farmland scenes throughout the film. California's Central Valley doubled as the Deep South, with local farms and period buildings providing authentic rural Southern atmosphere
- Shafter, United States, Shafter – Town sequences and community scenes set in the American South. This small agricultural town in Kern County, California, provided authentic period architecture and streetscapes for the film's Southern setting
- Los Angeles, United States, Los Angeles – Interior scenes and later narrative sequences. Warner Bros. and other Los Angeles facilities were used for interior sets and post-production work on this major Steven Spielberg production