Maps of Movies

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Where There Will Be Blood says it takes place, and where it was really shot.

The California oil boom was shot in West Texas, and the mansion is split between a Beverly Hills estate and a Washington castle

Scenes and places

Daniel strikes silver (1898)

Daniel Plainview digs for silver alone. A fall breaks his leg, and he drags himself out of the pit anyway to cash in his claim.

Set in A silver mine in New Mexico — Daniel Plainview works a silver claim alone, deep in a pit.

A West Texas ghost town that was once a major silver-mining centre.

Filmed at Shafter silver-mining town, Texas — The opening scenes were shot around the old silver-mining town of Shafter in West Texas, standing in for New Mexico. The coordinate is the town, not the mine itself. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

The first oil (1902)

Daniel strikes oil, and a worker dies in the accident. He takes the dead man's baby as his own son, because investors trust a family man.

Set in An oil field in California — Daniel finds oil and, after a worker dies, takes in the man's orphaned baby as his son H.W.

Early California oil field; no filming location is documented in the sources we found.

The Sunday ranch (1911)

Daniel poses as a quail hunter to buy the Sunday farm cheap. Eli, a young preacher, sees through him and demands money for his church.

Set in Little Boston, the Sunday ranch — Daniel pays a visit to the Sunday family property after a tip that oil lies under it.

Dry rangeland in California in the story, shot in West Texas.

Filmed at Marfa ranch area, Texas — Principal photography ran on a ranch near Marfa in West Texas, which plays the California ranch land. One blog names it McGuire Ranch; the coordinate is the town of Marfa, not the ranch. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

Derrick, blowout and fire (1911)

A worker dies and a gas blowout deafens H.W. Daniel carries on drilling, and the boy's anger comes out in a fire.

Set in The Plainview drilling site — The first Little Boston well: a worker dies, a gas blowout leaves H.W. deaf, and a fire follows.

The oil derrick and shacks, built as a set on the ranch.

Filmed at Marfa ranch area, Texas — Most of the film's sets were built on the Marfa ranch; the sources do not say which spot this scene used. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

The school for the deaf (1911)

Daniel sends his deaf son away to a school in San Francisco. The oil business goes on without the boy.

Set in A school for the deaf in San Francisco — Daniel sends the deafened H.W. away to be taught.

A school in San Francisco; no filming location is documented in the sources we found.

Baptism for a pipeline (1911)

The last holdout, Bandy, will allow the pipeline only if Daniel is baptised in Eli's church. Eli uses the baptism to humble him in front of the congregation.

Set in Eli's church, near the Bandy ranch — Daniel is made to repent in Eli's church so that William Bandy lets his pipeline cross the ranch.

Church and ranch land; the sources do not document a filming location for these scenes.

The mansion (1927)

In 1927 Daniel is wealthy and alone. H.W., grown and married, comes to ask for a share of the business.

Set in Plainview's mansion — Daniel, now rich but drinking, lives alone in a large mansion.

A Tudor-style mansion in Lakewood, Washington.

Filmed at Thornewood Castle, Lakewood, Washington — A single blog says the brief establishing shot of Daniel's mansion shows Thornewood Castle in Washington state. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

The basement bowling alley (1927)

Eli arrives to ask Daniel for a deal on Bandy's land. Daniel sets a price Eli will find hard to pay.

Set in The bowling alley in Plainview's mansion — Eli, now a radio preacher, visits drunken Daniel in the basement bowling alley.

The basement bowling alley of Greystone Mansion, a real house in Beverly Hills.

Filmed at Greystone Mansion, Beverly Hills — The interior mansion scenes were filmed at Greystone, where the basement's two-lane bowling alley was renovated for the film. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there:

Characters

• Daniel Plainview — A prospector turned oilman who buys up land across California.
• Eli Sunday — A young preacher who knows the land holds oil and wants money for his church.
• H.W. — Daniel's adopted son, who works beside him.

Questions answered on the map

• Where was Daniel Plainview's mansion really filmed?
• Where was the Sunday ranch really filmed?