The Man With Icy Eyes (1971)

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Last updated: March 9, 2024

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"The Man With Icy Eyes," a 1971 Italian Film Noir movie (or, to be more correct, an Italian "Giallo" movie), is a big favorite among Albuquerque antiquarians, because many of the motels and restaurants that defined Route 66 commercial architecture in the 50s and 60s were still in operation and very visible in the background.

In addition, one of the characters has my last name! Valdez is framed for murder.

Lots of views of Downtown, Central Avenue, Old Town, St. Augustine Catholic Church at Isleta Pueblo, and the Albuquerque News. Victor Buono (Batman's King Tut) is in a supporting role. A real trip down Memory Lane.

Delightful blog post here about the film.



Here's the film:




Notes on Individual Scenes
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Limousine turns - Escalante Ave. and Alcalde Pl. SW


This house is at 314 16th St. SW. This is the house behind Jesse Pinkman's house ("Breaking Bad"). This house is where the murder occurs in the 1971 movie, "The Man With Icy Eyes."

At the start of the film, the first victim is shot here. The framed shooter then flees in a panic (looks like eastbound on San Cristobal Rd. SW) and tries to run behind Chuck McGill's House (from "Better Call Saul"), before getting caught by the police.

An unusual piece of Italian film noir, "The Man With Icy Eyes," was filmed in Albuquerque in 1971. The movie stars Victor Buono and the beautiful Barbara Bouchet. The film shows many "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" filming sites back in the days when neon signs still dominated Central Ave. The Courthouse is familiar too.

It's amusing how the needs of Hollywood film crews don't change much. They all look for a settled, wealthy, professional or upper-class neighborhood. In Albuquerque, that means they gravitate to the same suite of 20 or 30 homes, decade in and decade out.

I'm amused by the Italian-accented Spanish accents. I was intrigued when a witness suddenly gets a stroke and sits mute in a wheelchair (1:03:30). I wonder if this film influenced the development of Hector Salamanca's character?

There are many personal touchstones: sitting in a sidewalk cafe on a frigid day (a stone's throw from where my mom started working in 1972), a glimpse of Lerners Shops (where I worked in 1974), and a wrestling poster featuring my childhood idol, Ricky Romero. Plus, the bad guys share my name.

The offices of a long-defunct newspaper, the Albuquerque News, were used for the Albuquerque Sentinel. When I was in high school, the father of a friend was a reporter there. We sometimes got advance info about the movements of politicians from him. No one seems to remember that newspaper anymore, even though it wasn't that long ago. Google was useless. The building is now gone. I had to query a website of Albuquerque antiquarians ("Albuquerque Memories") to find even one soul who remembered where that place formerly was.

From "Better Call Saul," Chuck McGill's Home, 1607 San Cristobal Road SW.

Chuck McGill's house.

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Opening Credits

Central Avenue, just west of Girard.

Central Avenue, just east of Rio Grande Blvd.

Appears to be Central Avenue in Nob Hill area, about Wellesley

Sign pointing to U.S. Highway 45 (Old Coors Rood SW), southbound to Socorro, Los Lunas, and Belen - Central Avenue, roughly at 58th St.

In car lot just south of Lomas Blvd., west of University Blvd. NE, and east of I-25 (35.091461°, -106.628920°).

Railroad underpass on Central Ave.

Probably Central Avenue at 7th St.

East, north, and south sides of Old Town Plaza, San Felipe de Neri Church, and S. Plaza St. NW.

A little unclear, but thinking this is just west of Winrock, and heading north up to Winrock Loop NE (35.098681°, -106.567681°)

Central Avenue downtown between Sixth and Third Streets. Here is Fourth St. and Central Ave., looking east.

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The offices of the Albuquerque Sentinel were actually the offices of the old Albuquerque News, which I recall were located in the southwestern quadrant of Seventh and Gold SW, where parking lots are now located.

The Jewish Temple was also once located near here.

Pining for the old Albuquerque News.

View of Old Town Plaza from the southeast corner, where the lunchtime meeting occurred.

Distant view of San Felipe de Neri Church.

Just north of Lomas Blvd., west of University Blvd. NE, and east of I-25 (roughly 35.092338°, -106.630821°)

Photo studio

Albuquerque News

2nd St. and Central Ave.

Hotel Andaluz (the old Hilton Hotel) - exterior and likely interior

Bernalillo County Courthouse Annex, located at the corner of 5th St. and Tijeras Ave. NW.

Bernalillo County Court House Annex, located at the corner of 5th St. and Tijeras Ave. NW.

Bernalillo County Court House Annex.

Bernalillo County Courthouse Annex, located at the corner of 5th St. and Tijeras Ave. NW.

Stairwell.

Second floor doors.

Mr. Davis' Office (Editor's Office)/ Ann's place

Courthouse

SW corner of 2nd St. and Central Ave. - State Theater backdrop

West side of 2nd St. SW, halfway between Central and Gold Avenues (Globe Furniture backdrop)

2nd St. and Gold Avenue SW, NW corner (It's confusing here - Globe Furniture appears to be on Gold Ave., so left turn of limousine onto 2nd St. must not have been shown)

First Baptist Church, Central Avenue and Broadway Blvd. NE, NW corner

Bar interior - Unresolved (thinking El Madrid, but I don't know)

Old Bernalillo County Courthouse

Probably State Penitentiary, near Santa Fe

Airliner

Editor's Office

Albuquerque Sunport

Sunport parking lot (unclear the exact location)

Drive - unclear

Isleta Pueblo

Feedlot - Possibly Schwartzman Slaughterhouse, but unclear

Firestone - probably at 7th & Central Ave. NW.

Firestone Complete Auto Care, 701 Central Ave. NW.

Southbound on-ramp onto I-25 from Big-I

Eastbound on-ramp onto I-40 at 2nd St. NW

Fire station - Probably Fire Station 4, 301 McKnight Ave. NW - Coronado Park, with its old train engine

Albuquerque News - Albuquerque Publishing Co. - 701 Gold Ave. SW

Editor's Office at ABQ News

Park Plaza Condominiums, 1331 Park Ave SW.

Park Plaza Condominiums, 1331 Park Ave SW.

Park Plaza entrance.

Interesting textured floor in the entryway to Park Plaza.

A photo of myself in the lobby.

Parking area out back.

Hotel Andaluz (the old Hilton Hotel)

SW corner of 2nd St. and Central Ave. - State Theater backdrop

Central Avenue, north side, between 2nd and 3rd St.

Uncertain. May be Central Avenue, westbound, just west of San Mateo Blvd.

Uncertain. May be Central Ave., eastbound, at about Madison St. NE, and Zia Motor Lodge sign - De Anza sign visible, and Ramada Inn sign too

Central Avenue, westbound, just west of San Mateo Blvd. - Hiland Theater sign visible

Building with wheelchair - Unresolved

Central Ave., eastbound, at about Adams St. NE. - Pup N Taco is at Washington St. & Central Ave.

Dropoff - Central Avenue at 8th St. at Downtowner Hotel (Hotel Blue)

Park Plaza

Central Avenue at 7th St.

Isleta Pueblo again.

Old Bernalillo Co. Court House?

Firestone - Central & 7th

Car lot mugging - On Lomas Blvd. between University and I-25, south side

DA - State pen

Zia Motor Lodge sign, 4611 Central Ave. NE; Central Ave. & Madison St.

Seen again - 21

Karate chop

View of Lerners Shops (4710 Central Ave. SE, one of my first employers!) and Central Avenue, apparently westbound.

Antiques and Things. In the summer of 1973, when this place was a Lerners women's clothing store, I worked here part-time as a janitor.

Whites

More views of Central Avenue - an Arby's (unclear if it's the one at 3326 Central Ave. SE, or not) and an Enco - unclear

View of Galles Chevrolet, University Blvd. and Lomas Blvd. NE, southbound, and turning westbound

More views of Central, including Arby's and Enco. Arby's and Der Wienerschnitzel.

Near collision with truck, Lomas Blvd., west of University Blvd. NE, and east of I-25

State pen

Looks like offramp from I-40 EB to I-25 SB? Hard to tell...

Getting on northbound I-25? - Very unclear - where is that on ramp? is it gone now?

State Pen

ABQ News

Rasputin's room - Hilton Hotel

State pen