The Taiwan History Podcast: Formosa Files
“The Eleventh Commandment” – the First Western Movie Shot in Taiwan – S5-E34
Oct 30, 2025
Discover the bizarre tale of the first Western movie filmed in Taiwan during the Cold War. A film director's anti-communist message leads American soldiers on a wild journey from Iowa to Taiwan. Hear about filming in Taipei amidst political tensions and the curious characters, including a general and a leading actress. Despite its intriguing plot, the film struggled with funding and distribution, largely disappearing from history. Join in on the search for lost records and encounter a world of drama, patriotism, and cinema gone awry!
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Taiwan Hosted An Early Cold War Western
- The 11th Commandment (1961) was likely the first Western film shot in Taiwan and promoted anti-communist themes.
- The film framed communism as dehumanizing and aligned with Cold War propaganda.
Bob Dix's Taiwan Filming Memories
- Lead actor Bob Dix recounts filming in Taipei, Jinmen, and shooting Taiwan to stand in for small-town Iowa.
- He described local support and painted billboards that looked culturally adapted to Western imagery.
Bombardment Days And A Missing Pilot Tale
- While filming on Jinmen, cast sheltered during bombardment cycles and met ROC officers like ‘Colonel Yu’ (Fish).
- Bob Dix later claimed a daring T-33 theft and flight to the mainland linked to that colonel, a story with no clear record.
