Where was Giant filmed?
1956
City Locations
Los Angeles, CA, and Marfa, TX (USA)
Location Types
Ranch, Mansions, Film Studio
Location Styles
Americana/Anywhere, Old Hollywood, Rustic, Ranch Style
About Giant
Giant, released in 1956, is a captivating drama directed by George Stevens and featuring an all-star cast including Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, and Mercedes McCambridge. Adapted from Edna Ferber's best-selling novel, Giant successfully balances melodrama and serious storytelling throughout its 210-minute runtime. It remains a fascinating classic that has stood the test of time, thanks partly to the exceptional performances of Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson.
The movie chronicles the journey of affluent Texas rancher Bick Benedict (Hudson), who returns home with his sophisticated love interest, Leslie Lynnton (Taylor) after a trip to the East Coast. The two marry, but Leslie faces conflict with Bick's sister, Luz (McCambridge), and simultaneously captures the admiration of the ambitious Jett Rink (Dean). As the years go by, the competition between Bick and Jett grows increasingly tense, resulting in shifting fortunes and rising tensions in this sweeping saga.
Giant received widespread critical acclaim upon its release, earning nine Academy Award nominations and winning the Oscar for Best Director for George Stevens. In addition, the movie won New Star of the Year—Actress (Carroll Baker) at the Golden Globes and was nominated for Best Picture at the 1957 Golden Globes. It remains a classic of its era, lauded for its performances, direction, and sweeping themes of love, family, and rivalry.
Giant Locations
Giant is an iconic family saga set in west Texas. While interior shots were filmed at Warner Bros' Burbank Studios, the grandeur of the sprawling ranch scenes was captured at Marfa, Texas, and the surrounding area. Located near the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park, Marfa is a small town situated in the high desert with breathtaking landscapes that provide a perfect backdrop for this classic film.
A trip to Marfa and its neighboring regions would be worthwhile for anyone looking to experience some of the locations featured in Giant. The Ryan Ranch, 17 miles west of Marfa along I-90, was where much of the exterior ranch scenes were shot, with an impressive ranch house set that could still be seen until it crumbled away in the 1980s. While there, visitors might also want to take a look at El Paisano Hotel, which served as headquarters for the cast and crew during production.
This historic region offers beautiful landscapes and cultural sites such as art galleries, museums, shops, restaurants, and bars, all of which make venturing out to this part of Texas extra special. A trip to explore these real-life settings from Giant will surely be an unforgettable adventure filled with awe-inspiring views that will leave you feeling like you’ve stepped back into another era.
Bick and Leslie return to Texas scene in Giant
Ryan Ranch, 16644 US-90, Marfa, TX 79843, USA
After returning to Texas, Bick and Leslie establish their home at Reata, the family ranch. Leslie and Luz, Bick's older sister who runs the ranch, have a strained relationship. Leslie perceives Luz as rude, while Luz harbors resentment towards Leslie due to her privileged upbringing. Jett Rink is a ranch worker who dreams of leaving Texas to become wealthy. He's in love with Leslie, although she's married to his employer. These scenes beautifully contrast the exuberance of youth with the bitterness of age as Leslie and Jett Rink stand in stark contrast to the disapproving figure of Luz.
Ryan Ranch was the primary filming location for Giant and is located in Marfa, Texas. Located near Big Bend National Park and the Davis Mountains, the desert landscape surrounding Ryan Ranch is an ideal backdrop for outdoor scenes like those seen in Giant.
If you want to visit Ryan Ranch, you’ll find it about 110 miles southwest of Fort Stockton in southwestern Texas.
Hispanic village scenes in Giant
Valentine, Texas, USA
The Hispanic village scenes filmed in Valentine, Texas, show a stark contrast between the vastly wealthy ranch-owning family and the impoverished Mexican workers. Leslie notices the Mexican workers' poor living conditions while riding with Jett around the county. She urges Bick to assist in improving their situation.
To locate the site, travel west from Marfa on US 90 for a short distance toward Valentine. Keep an eye out for a windmill on your right-hand side in the barren landscape. The two poles holding up the original "Little Reata" sign still stand nearby. Jett Rink's well-known windmill is located approximately 20 yards behind this sign. You can get a decent view of these remains from the road.
The "Jett Rink Day" parade and airport festivities scene in Giant
Hollywood Burbank Airport, 2627 N Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505, USA
Jett prepares to celebrate the formal opening of Jett Rink Airport and Hotel Emperador in Hermosa. Luz is looking forward to attending the party, which Jett will host. The scene captures the lavish celebration of the grand opening, and the celebration is marked by a parade with a marching band playing "The Eyes of Texas."
Fans can see current-day Burbank Airport, which was used to film this iconic scene. Located in California, it is one of the oldest continually operating airports in the world with rich Hollywood history. Famous TV shows such as M*A*S*H* were also filmed here.
Burbank Airport is located in Burbank, California, and is one of the region's busiest airports for passengers and cargo flights. It offers many services, such as car rental services, restaurants, shops, and more. Visitors can get to Burbank Airport via car or public transport such as bus or train. Numerous parking options are also available at the airport for those who drive to it, and it’s about a 15-mile drive north of downtown LA.
Benedict mansion scene in Giant
Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, CA, USA
While participating in a cattle roundup, Luz aggressively confronts Leslie by digging her spurs into Leslie's beloved horse, War Winds. This results in Luz being thrown off the horse and ultimately dying. In her will, Jett inherits a small parcel of land within the massive 595,000-acre Benedict ranch. Bick tries to repurchase the land from Jett, but Jett refuses. Instead, Jett chooses to make a home on the property containing a fenced-in waterhole named Little Reata.
This scene was filmed at Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California. Off-location sets used include the Benedict Mansion, which was built explicitly for Giant at Warner Bros. Warner Bros technicians built the exterior façade of Reata for $100,000. It was 83 feet wide and had a tower that stood 64 feet tall. It was shipped by train to Marfa and erected on the ranch near Little Reata as a three-sided structure supported by six telephone poles.
If you want to visit the original filming location, you can tour Warner Bros Studio in Burbankto get an up-close look at its film sets and stages where many of Hollywood’s biggest films have been made over the years. Tours are available daily throughout the year, but reservations must be made beforehand. You can get there either by car or use public transport such as buses or trains; all buses arrive at Warner Bros Studio via Cahuenga Boulevard, while trains make stops at nearby North Hollywood Station, which is roughly a 15-minute walk away from Warner Bros Studios.
Conclusion
Giant is an epic American drama film directed by George Stevens. The movie stars the iconic Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson in a heartfelt story that follows a wealthy Texas family over many years. As time passes, the family’s love and loyalties are tested as they face changing times and advancing technology. It is a powerful exploration of ambition, loyalty, and greed set against the backdrop of Texas's transformation from a rural area to a modern industrial center.
The acting performances by Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson are excellent. They each bring gravitas to their characters and thrilling emotion to their scenes, making for a riveting drama. The script is highly entertaining, with believable dialogue that reflects the personality and conflicts of the characters well.
Not only is this classic film well worth watching, it’s also worth checking out some Giant filming locations for yourself. Some of them are a fair way off the beaten track, however, so you’ll definitely need a sense of adventure to find them.