The Unforgiven is a 1960 American western film filmed in Durango, Mexico. It was directed by John Huston and has the unusual casting of Audrey Hepburn.
Magnum Photos Agency photographer Inge Morath had met director John Huston while she was living in London, Morath worked on several of his films.
The Unforgiven, uncommonly for its time, spotlights the issue of racism against Native Americans and people believed to have Native American blood in the Old West.
Aside from this the film is most notable for its behind-the-scenes problems. Production was suspended for several months in 1959 after Hepburn broke her back when she fell off a horse while rehearsing a scene. Although she eventually recovered, the accident was blamed for a subsequent miscarriage Hepburn suffered.
While photographing the making of The Unforgiven, Inge Morath accompanied Huston and his friends duck hunting on a mountain lake outside Durango. Photographing the excursion, Morath saw through her telephoto lens that actor Audie Murphy and his companion had capsized their boat 350 feet from shore. She could see that Murphy, stunned, was nearly drowning. A skilled swimmer, Morath stripped to her underwear and hauled the two men ashore by her bra strap while the hunt continued uninterrupted
Audrey Hepburn during the production of The Unforgiven, Durango, Mexico, 1959. Photograph by Inge Morath via
Audrey Hepburn during the production of The Unforgiven, Durango, Mexico, 1959. Photograph by Inge Morath via
Audrey Hepburn during the production of The Unforgiven, Durango, Mexico, 1959. Photograph by Inge Morath via
Audrey Hepburn during the production of The Unforgiven, Durango, Mexico, 1959. Photograph by Inge Morath via
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