Moab

Movies A guide to the movies and their location

This guide would not have been possible without the help of the Moab Area Travel Council. All information gathered from Moab Area Movie Locations Auto Tour, available at the Moab Information Center. Photos donated. Created for Canyonlands By Night and Day. The story of how Moab became one of advantage—there is a large spruce and aspen-covered the most popular filming locations in river running through it. Ford mountains (the 12,000-foot “ instantly realized, as he had La Sal Range), to wind-swept the Southwest begins, not suprisingly, with in 1939 when Harry Goulding sand dunes fields (Behind the acclaimed film director John Ford. A had shown him photographs the Rocks), to dramatic mile- detailed account of this essential chapter of of Monument Valley, that he deep canyons (Island in the had foundanother perfect Sky), to colorful slickrock Southwestern film history is presented filming location. (Sevenmile Canyon), to open in Bette Stanton’s regional the early pioneering Mor- desert and high prairies history Where God Put the mons, Ford traveled north Since then over fifty major (Green River country). The West, Movie Making in the on U.S. 191 into southeast- feature films have been town, which has hosted Desert (1994).* According ern Utah. Once in Moab, made within a two-hour filmmakers and commerical to Stanton, who was for he was introduced by the driving radius of Moab. producers now for over half many decades a leader of editor of the Moab Times– Everything from action ad- a century, also has a well the Moab Film Commission, Independant to local cattle venture films (Indiana Jones developed support sys- John Ford had by 1949 com- rancher George White (who and the Temple of Doom, tem—lodging, restaurants, pleted four successful films later founded the Moab Film with Harrison Ford in 1989) supplies, crew and produc- in Monument Commission). George White to human dramas (Thelma tions services—for location Valley—Stagecoach (1939), drove the film director up and Louise, with Geena Davis, shoots. “ My Darling Clementine State Route 128 to Professor Susan Sarandon, and Brad Pitt in 1991) to traditional *Anyone intrested in the subject (1946), Fort Apache (1948), Valley and the region of the of filmmaking in southeastern and She Wore a Yellow Fisher Towers on the Colo- westerns (Geronimo, with Utah should read Bette L. Stanon’s Ribbon (1949)—and had de- rado River, two of the loveli- Gene Hackman and Robert book Where God Put the West, Movie Making in the Desert, which cided to find a desert loca- est spots in the Soutwest. Duvall in 1993) have used the is sold by the Moab to Monument tion with a slightly different The redrock country around Moab area as a primary film- Valley Film Commission, 50 East Center #1, Moab Utah. look. For his next project, Fisher Towers is every bit ing location. Directors can Wagonmaster, which would as beautiful as Monument find every sort of landscape Excerpt borrowed from Cinema dramatize the struggles of Valley, but with one added in the area, from towering Southwest, by John A. Murray (200) Northland Publishing. All movie locations are accessible with a two-wheel drive Starring: Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush, Jeff Chandler vehicle. Movie locations on private lands are included with Locations: White’s Ranch, Castle Valley, Professor Valley. the landowners’ permission. Please respect the land and location sites by staying on existing roads. Please keep in 1958- Warlock– 20th Century Fox. mind that there no existing sets left intact. Director: Edward Dmytryk Starring: Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn, Richard Widmark 1949- Wagon Master– Argosy Productions. Dorothy Malone. Director: John Ford Locations: Professor Valley, Dead Horse Point State Park, Starring: Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Joanne Dru, Ward King’s Bottom, White’s Ranch, Arches, Sand Flats Bond, Jane Darwell, Russel Simpson, Kathleen O’Malley, James Arness, Francis Ford. 1959- Ten Who Dared– Walt Disney Studios. Locations: Professor Valley, Colorado River, Spanish Valley. Director: William Beaudine Starring: John Beal, Brian Keith, Ben Johnson, L.Q. Jones, John Wanye in Rio George E. White. Grande, 1950 Locations: Big Bend, White’s Ranch, Arches National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park.

1961-The Comancheros– 20th Century Fox. 1950- Rio Grande– Republic Studios. Director: Michael Curtiz Director: John Ford Starring: John Wayne, Stuart Whitman, Ina Balin, Starring: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Claude Jarman Nehemiah Persoff, Lee Jr., Harry Carey Jr., Victor McLaglen, J. Carrol Marvin, Shirley Jones, Naish, Chill Wills, Patrick Wayne. Patrick Wayne, Micharl Locations: White’s Ranch, Ida Gulch, Professor Ansara, Bruce Cabot, Valley, Colorado River, Onion Locations: Professor Valley, Dead Horse Creek Narrows. Point State Park, Kings Bottom, La Sal Mountians, 1953- Taza, Son of Cochise– Universal International. Fisher Valley, Onion Creek Director: Douglas Sirk 1963- The Greatest Story Ever Told– George Stevens Prod. 1964- Rio Conchos– 20th Century Fox. Director: George Stevens Director: Gordon Douglas Starring: Max von Sydow, Charlton Heston, Carroll Baker, Starring: Richard Boone, Stuart Whitman, Edmund Angela Lansbury, Sidney Poitier, Shelly Winters, O’Brien, Anthony Fanciosa. John Wayne, Jose Ferrer, Ven Heflin, Claude Locations: White’s Ranch, Castle Valley, Professor Valley, Rains, Telly Savalas. Colorado River, Arches National Park, Dead Horse Locations: Professor Valley, Colorado River, Spanish Valley. Point State Park. The Castle from The 1966- Wild Rovers– MGM Studios. Greatest Director: Blake Edwards Story Ever Starring: Williams Holden, Ryan O’Neal. Told. Locations: Arches National Park, Monument Valley.

1967- Blue– Paramount Pictures. Director: Silvio Narizzano Starring: Terence Stamp, Ricardo Montalban, Karl Malden 1963- Cheyenne Autumn– Warner Brothers. Locations: Professor Valley, Colorado River, Sevenmile Director: John Ford Canyon, La Sal, Sand Flats, Redd’s Ranch, Starring: Richard Widmark, Carroll Baker, Ricardo Woods’ Ranch. Montalben, Gilbert Roland, Sal Mineo, Dolores Del Rio, Victor Jory, Karl Malden, Edward G. 1975- Against A Crooked Sky– Doty Dayton Productions. Robinson, Patrick Wayne, George O’Brien, Director: Earl Bellamy Mike Mazurki, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Starring: Richard Boone, Stewart Peterson, Henry Wilcoxon. James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, John Locations: Professor Valley, Colorado River, Castle Valley, Carradine, Elizabeth Allen Arches National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park. Locations: White’s Ranch, Castle Valley, Professor Valley, Colorado River, Fisher Canyon, Arches National 1982- Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone– Zone Park, Monument Valley, Mexican Hat. Productions/ Columbia Pictures. Director: Lamont Johnson 1988- Sundown: Vampires in Retreat– Vestron/ Sundown Starring: Peter Strauss, Molly Ringwald, Ernie Hudson, Productions. Andrea Marcovicci, Michael Ironside, Director: Anthony Hickox Beeson Carrol. Starring: John Ireland, David Carradine, Morgan Brittany, Locations: Kane Creek, Bull Canyon, Colorado River, Potash Maxwell Caulfield, Deborah Foreman. Lower Shafer Trail, Grey Hills. Locations: Thompson Springs, Moab (Spanish Valley), Hittlebottom, Arches National Park. 1984- Choke Canyon– Brouwersgat Inv. Director: Chuck Bail 1988- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade– LUCASfilms. Starring: Stephen Collins, Janet Julien, Bo Svenson. Director: Steven Spielberg Locations: Moab, Onion Creek, Professor Valley, Sand Flats, Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, River Phoenix, Dead Horse Point State Park, Byrd’s Ranch. Dunholm Elliott, Alison Doody, JohnRys-Davis Julian Glover. 1985- MacGyver (TV Pilot)– Paramount Pictures. Locations: Arches National Park, Director: Jerrold Freedman Sevenmile Canyon. Starring: Richard Dean Anderson. Locations: Dead Horse Point State Park, Shafer Overlook. 1990- Thelma and Louise– Percy Main Productions. 1986- The Survivalist– Lodestar Productions. Director: Ridley Scott Director: Sig Shore Starring: Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon, Harvey Kietel Starring: Cliff De Young, Susan Blakely, Steve Railsback, Brad Pitt. Marjoe Gortner, David Wayne. Locations: Shafer Overlook, Arches National Park, La Sal, Locations: Pack Creek Ranch, Onion Creek, Moab City. Cisco, Thompson Springs, Valley City Fossil Point. 1987- Nightmare at Noon– Omega/Inhaus. Director: Nico Mastorakis Starring: George Kennedy, Bo Hopkins, Wings Hauser. Locations: Moab City, Ken’s Lake, Arches National Park, Famous ending scene. Colorado River. 1992- Knights– Kings Road Entertainment 1993- City Slicker II: The Search for Director: Albert Pyun Curly’s Gold– Columbia Pictures. Starring: Kris Kristofferson, Katy Long, Lance Henrickson. Director: Paul Welland Locations: Pucker Pass, Long Canyon, Professor Valley, Starring: Billy Crystal, Jake Plance, La Sal Mountains, Needles Overlook. Daniel Stern, Jon Lovitz, Patricia Wettig. 1992- Slaughter of the Innocents– SGE Entertainment. Locations: Dugout Ranch, Fisher Director: James Glickenhaus Towers, Onion Creek. Starring: Scott Glenn, Sheila Tousey, Jesse Cameron. Locations: Castle Rock, Onion Creek, Marie Ogden 1993- Lightning Jack– Lightning Ridge Productions. Settlement. Director: Simon Wincer Starring: Paul Hogan, Beverly D’Angelo, Cuba Gooding Jr. 1993- Geronimo: An American Legend– Columbia Pictures. Locations: Fisher Towers, San Jaun County. Director: Walter Hill Starring: Jason Patric, Wes Studi, Robert Duvall, Gene 1994- The Great American West– Vineyard Productions. Hackman, Rodney A. Grant, Stuart Grant. Director: Reed Smoot (an IMAX picture) Locations: Professor Valley, Potash Trail, Potash Plant, Starring: Jason Robard, narrator. Needles Overlook area, Sand Dunes off Ruby Locations: Monument Valley, Ida Gulch, Hauer Ranch, Ranch Road, Bates Ranch, Lawson Ranch, Onion Fossil Point, Pucker Pass, Hook ‘n Ladder area. Creek. 1995- Larger than Life– MGM/United Artist. Director: Howard Franklin Left: Scene Starring: Bill Murray, and Tia, with Gene an elephant. Hackman Locations: Harley Bates (Dole) Ranch, Shafer Trail, Professor, Valley, off Highways 191 and 313, Green River, Floy Wash, Dunes. 1995- Riders of the Purple Sage– TBS/VHS Productions. 1997- Lost Treasure of Dos Santos– JCS Entertainment. Director: Charlie Haid (TV Movie) Director: Jorge Montesi Starring: Ed Harris, Amy Madigan, Henry Thomas, Starring: Michele Green, David Carradine, Lee Majors Robin Tunney, Stephanie Griffith. and Cathy Lee Crosby. Locations: Dugout Ranch (main set), Flat Pass, Mill Creek Locations: Onion Creek, Flat Pass, Bates Ranch. Canyon, Kane Springs Road, Ten Mile area, and Pucker Pass. 1998- Chill Factor– Organ Creek Productions/WB. Director: High Johnson 1996- Breakdown– Breakdown Productions. Starring: Cuba Gooding Jr. Director: Jonathan Mostow Locations: Monument Valley, Castle Valley, SR-279. Starring: Kurt Russel, J.T. Walsh, Kathleen Quinlan. 1998- Galaxy Quest– Dream Works Studios. Locations: Professor Valley, SR 313, Director: Dean Parisot Texaco Station off hwy 191. Starring: Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver. Locations: Goblin Valley State Park, Little Wild 1996- Con-Air (skyjacked)– Touchstone Pictures. Horse Canyon. Director: Simon West Starring: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich. 1999- The Adventures of Joe Dirt– Bouelevard Films. Locations: Air shots over Dead Horse Point State Park, Director: Dennie Gordon Canyonland National Park, Monument Valley Starring: David Spade, Christopher Walken, G. Busey. and Lake Powell. Locations: Dead Horse Point State Park.

1999- Mission Impossible II– Paramount. Director: John Woo Starring: Tom Cruise. Locations: Dead Horse Point State Park. Explosion scene from Con-Air. Opening scenes MI2. 1999- Vertical Limit– Mountain High Productions. SET LOCATIONS Director: Martin Campbell Hwy 128: Onion Creek, Fisher Towers, Ida Gulch, White’s Starring: Chris O’Donell, Robin Tunney, and Scott Glenn. Ranch (Red Cliffs Adventure Lodge), Castle Valley, Professor Locations: Monument Valley. Valley, Big Bend, Hittle Bottom, Castle Rock, Harley Bates Ranch, Lawson Ranch, Hauer Ranch, Hook ‘n’ Ladder area. 2000- Nurse Betty– Gramecy Pictures. Director: Neil LaBute Hwy 313: Dead Horse Point State Park, Green River Overlook, Starring: Rene Zelewigger and Morgan Freeman. Island in the Sky (Canyonlands National Park). Locations: Hwy 128, Hwy 279, Arches National Park. Hwy 279: Shafer Trail, Shafer Trail Overlook, Potash, Fossil 2001- Touched By an Angel– Caroline Films/CBS. Point, Pucker Pass, Long Canyon, Wall Street. Director: John Adams (2 TV seg. In part). Starring: Roma Downey, Della Reese, and North Hwy 191: Arches National Park, Seven Mile Canyon, Mandy Patinkin. Bull Canyon, Ten Mile Rd.. Locations: Dead Horse Point State Park, SR-313. South Hwy 191: Monument Valley, La Sal, San Juan County, 2002- Austin Powers 3– Newline Films. Lake Powell. Director: Jay Roach Starring: Mike Meyers, Michael Caine, Michael York, Hwy 212: Dugout Ranch, Marie Ogden Settlement. Beyonce Knowles, Heather Graham, Seth Green, Robert Wagner, Mindy Sterling, Verne Troyer. I-70: Cisco, Thompson Springs, Ruby Ranch (exit 173), Green Locations: Hwy 128 near Hittle Bottom, Hwy 279 near Wall River City, Goblin Valley State Park, Floy Wash (exit 173), Little Street, Hwy 313. Wild Horse Canyon.

Other Locations: Kane Creek, Sand Flats, Byrd’s Ranch, Moab Austin Powers 3 car used City, Pack Creek Ranch, Ken’s Lake, Mill Creek Canyon and in opening scenes of Flat Pass. Gold Member. t is impos- Green River Isible to travel any distance in Cisco 70 Moab without encountering a landscape 191 DOL ORES RIVE that has ap- Devils Garden R Delicate peared in a Arch IVER R Arches The Windows Fisher Towers film. Everwhere National 128 LORADO Park CO are scenes that Castle Valley have been me- 313 morialized on MOAB Dead Horse 279 screen. Indeed State Park Kane Creek

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46 imagination, a Grand View Point contruct of film studios than an actual place.