Almost Nobody Knows That Parts Of The Iconic Movie One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Were Filmed In This Tiny Oregon Towns

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is an iconic film that was made almost 50 years ago, but it never loses its luster. This 1975 movie was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won five of them: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was based on the already excellent novel of the same name by Ken Kesey, published in 1962, and the actors involved all did an incredible job portraying his characters. What you might not know, though, is that this movie was filmed in Oregon, which was the setting for both the film and the book, and which was Kesey’s home for most of his life. Filming took place in several spots in The Beaver State, but one iconic scene you’ll surely remember was shot in Depoe Bay. Read on to learn more about this small-town Oregon, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest filming location.

AP Wire Photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The two leads in this film were Jack Nicholson, who played Randle McMurphy, a patient at a mental institution, and Louise Fletcher, who worked as a nurse there. They both won Academy Awards for their roles. Here, they are pictured in a press photo released when the nominations for the 1975 Academy Awards were announced.

Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The cast of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was stacked. Featured performers included Danny Devito, Scatman Crothers, and Brad Dourif. Will Sampson was particularly outstanding as Chief Bromden.

Advertisement

Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

姜涛/Google Local

Related Stories

You May Be Surprised To Learn These 12 Famous People Are From Oregon

Straddling The Oregon-Washington Border, Government Island, Oregon Is One Of The Most Unique Places You'll Ever Visit

One Of The Biggest Names In Children's Books Grew Up In One Of The Smallest Towns In Oregon

Management/Google Reviews

Richard Allen/Google Local

David Masters/Google Local

Of course, the men were all caught and punished - especially Randle McMurphy.

Josh Partee, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons

This was the exact setting of the story in the book, so it was the setting that Milos Foreman used for the film as well. It's in Salem. This hospital was, in fact, the state mental institution for Oregon since it opened in 1883. At its peak, it was home to 3,600 patients. Many of the treatments offered there, like electroconvulsive therapy and lobotomies, are no longer used today.

Advertisement

Mike Phutthong/Google Local

Much of it was torn down and a new 620-bed facility was built on the property. However, the main part of the old building was kept; today it is a mental health museum. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

Whether you’re a big fan or not, these One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest filming locations are worth visiting. Both places tell stories of the movie, and many more stories that have nothing to do with it. Plan visits to Depoe Bay and Salem soon and check out these very interesting spots. And if you haven’t already, be sure to check out the film and read the book – both are wonderful.

Looking for more Oregon filming locations to explore? Check out Brownsville – not far from Salem! Fans Of The 1980s Movie Stand By Me Will Recognize These Locations In Brownsville, Oregon