Where was The Rounders filmed?

Ben and Howdy enter the ranch grounds, prepared to break in a new horse. As Love watches, Howdy slips a lead over the head of the new horse. Love chuckles and tells the boys, “Just like I said boys, as gentle as a milk pen calf. See you around in a few days.” Ben and Howdy look at themselves and the following dialogue ensues is in what is one of the most funny scenes in The Rounders.

Ben: I wonder how come people call him Love?

Howdy: Maybe cause he’s so clean.

Ben: Ya, cleanest feller I ever seen.

Howdy: Tailor-made suits, $60 boots.

Ben: Guy gets more work, pays less than any man I ever saw.

Howdy: Like now for instance.

Ben: Ya, like now.

The two men begin to saddle up the horse.

Ben turns to the horse and says, “Oh, you musta been a mean son buck when you was young.”

He turns his back and bends over, and the horse bites him in the rear.

To reach the site of this The Rounders film set, take I-17, making a turn onto Highway 179. Located just five miles outside Sedona’s main business community, you will find the beautiful village of Oak Creek.

In this The Rounders scene, Ben and Howdy arrive at Vince’s farm on the hunt for some moonshine. They are greeted by Vince’s daughters who are eager to make a good impression on the men. They invite them to stay for dinner. The two men accept the invitation, and the girls enter the house to being supper preparations. As the men turn their backs to go tie up their horses and feed them, Howdy says to Ben, “That’s what I’d call real neighborly girls, and I’d say that if their pa didn’t make the best moonshine in Colfax County.”

Filmed on a set built in Red Rock Crossing, you will not be able to find the exact location where this scene was shot, but you can definitely drink in the scenery that features prominently in this and many other pieces of footage in this beloved film. To get to Red Rock Crossing, you will need to enter Red Rock State Park in Sedona. Take FR 216, following the signs to Red Rock State Park. Once inside the recreational area, you will find a map that will take you to this popular hiking region.

In this film scene, Vince, Ben, and Howdy are discussing farm work after dinner. The topic turns to Vince’s homemade, top-quality moonshine. The following dialogue takes place between the three men.

Vince: Getting so nobody drinks anymore.

Howdy: We do!

Vince: You boys care for a little snort?

Ben: Whatever suits you just tickles us plum to death

Howdy: Excuse me (speaking to the girls).

The men exit the house and start walking towards an old, beat-up shed in the yard. Several dogs run to greet them, and Vince tells the men to ignore them. He says, “Keep your eye on old Blue. Down, down. Watch this step.”

The men enter the barn and shove the dogs outside. Vince grabs a lantern, then opens a door in the floor, leading the men down a stairwell. In complete awe at Vince’s operation, Howdy declares. “Some fellas know how to make storebought clothes, some can make lots of money like Jim Ed Love, but there ain’t nobody makes whiskey like you, Vince.”

One of only a handful of scenes in this movie that was shot on a studio lot, you can visit this The Rounders location by taking bus lines 33, CC1, CC3, or R12.

Vince rides his horse over to Ben and Howdy. He is not happy and greets the boys with, “I want my whiskey back.” The following conversation takes place in one of the best scenes in The Rounders.

Ben: Oh, come on now you must be kidding, Vince.

Vince: I am like hell.

Howdy: Why?

Vince: First place I went hunting, I jumped a coyote less than half a mile from my house. Lined out on him right behind the hounds.

Howdy: Well, that’s good!

That ain’t good at all! That knothead ran right past where the hounds had that coyote down. Just kept going. Didn’t even have a chance to glance at the fight. Took me three miles to get him turned. When I finally got back to the dogs, it was all over. Nothing left of that coyote but a little patch of grey on the grass. The next morning, I saddled him up in the corral, walked him around pretty as you please. And just when I got to thinking that maybe yesterday was an accident, happened.

Ben: What happened?

Vince: Bucked me off. Broke down the barn door and went to eat my whiskey may.

Ben: Well, you know, a spirited horse like that gets kinda hungry sometimes, Vince.

Vince: Made me so damned mad, I figured if I couldn’t ride with him maybe I could plow with him.

Howdy: How’d he work?

Vince: WORK? He ran off with the plow. Hung it up in the fence. Tore off 200 yards of good post and barbed wire. Busted up all my harvest. I’ve been two days and nights trying to put that place of mine back together again, and I WANT MY WHISKEY BACK.

To reach the site of this The Rounders production location from nearby Sedona, travel along N State Route 89A, taking the 3rd exit onto AZ-179S. Remain on this highway, making a right-hand turn to merge onto 1-17S. Take exit 287 then make a left onto AZ-260E. Merge onto 1-17 N, continuing until you see the signs for Coconino National Forest.

On their way to the rodeo, Ben and Howdy discover two damsels in distress on the side of the road. Their vehicle is not working, and they need help. Since neither man has any knowledge of how to fix a car, they offer to take Mary and Sister to the nearest garage for assistance. They stop for a bite to eat while on the road, and this conversation takes place about the girls’ chosen form of employment:

Mary: We got ourselves a regular act.

Sister: We call our act the Snakes of Love.

Mary: Instead of bumps and grinds, whiz, and strike at each other.

Sister: And when we shed our skins, it brings the house down!

Ben: I’ll bet it does.

This footage was taken in a diner just outside Sedona, Arizona. Though it is not known precisely which diner this particular scene was shot in, you’ll have no difficulty finding one that looks the part in this scenic Western town. The landscape surrounding the restaurant also features prominently in this scene and is well worth exploring during a trip here. To get to Sedona, follow Highway 64 to I-40 East. Continue onto I-40 East, picking up I-17 south from Flagstaff. Connect to Highway 89A, traveling onto I-17 then I-40 East to Highway 89 which will take you directly to the city limits.

In this scene, it’s payday, and Love has come to negotiate new terms. Instead of paying Ben and Howdy in cash, he offers a trade. He asks the boys this, “What do you say you get your trading pants on and let’s make a trade?

Ben (relaxing in the bathtub): What kind of a trade?

Love: Well, let’s say I keep the $70 for the calves, and you keep that old roan horse.”

This one negotiation starts the hijinks that charm and delight for the rest of the film.

Traveling from Flagstaff, you will reach this location by driving along Highway 180 to the exit for the Snowball. Continue 7.5 miles up the mountain, and there you will find a parking lot where you can leave your vehicle and explore the rest of the grounds on foot.