Show Republic Pictures tells Story I Of Filming Rio Grande Grandell John Ford Production Made Modo at Moab Last Summer to bo b Shown at Ides Jan Jon 9 11 1 The rite Republic picture Rio lb I Grande which was filmed at Moab Moat last lut summer Rummer by John Fort ford and his Argosy Arros Production tion personnel will be bo at the Ides theater In Moab for lor three days tOn on m Tuesday Wednesday Well Wed and Thursday Jan 0 D I 10 antI and 11 The following story written by Mart Mort Goodman di director director dl- dl rector of ot studio publicity at atthe atthe the Republic studios North I I Hollywood gives an account of filming the picture which Is one of or the outstanding western west ern features made during durin 1950 1050 and rates as QS third In box office attractions now showing throughout the country In the Sept 27 1947 1047 Issue 01 of the Saturday Evening Post there was published a story by James Warner Wanner Bellah under the title of ot Mission With No Record It was an amazing and little- little known story of a heroic yet unsung unsung unsung un un- un- un sung chapter in the Ute colorful history of the U 11 S. S cavalry following following fol fol- lowing the Civil war The story caught the eye of Director John Ford who saw in it the Ule possibility of a great and thrilling motion picture and so in March 1948 1048 he bought the rights to the story and then set it aside until time and opportunity ity would prove right for its production Time and opportunity came when John Ford and Merian Merlan C. C Cooper signed an exclusive term long-term deal with Herbert J. J Yates and Republic Pictures Picture on Feb 20 1050 1950 It was decided their first picture would be an adaptation of the Ute Bellah DelLah story titled re-titled Rio Grande for the screen I IJames James Kevin McGuinness who had collaborated with Fordon Ford on the production of They Were Expendable for M Q was wasI signed to write the screenplay I for Rio Grande an and preparations preparations tons for lor fo production of ot tho the picture pie pie- ture lure were accelerated led Less Leu than a y year ar before Ford rord had bad opened up a new I location vista for Ute the filming of outdoor pictures Ho Ire had traveled to tho the little town of Moab Utah and there Just outside of town had found the perfect scenery and background for his picture So pleased was he with this new discovery that b before tore he had with he had determined determined determined deter deter- mined to return to Moab for lor an another another an- an other oUter picture That picture was to be Rio Grande Moab is some miles southeast southeast southeast south south- east of Salt Lake City In Grand county Here on the banks of the Colorado river Ford selected his location However before decidIng decidIng deciding ing to bring the tle Republic company company com corn pany to this town of but 1083 people much planning had to tobe tobe tobe be done Jim Coleman manager manag r of the vast Anderson Anderson Dunham Dunham Co one of the worlds world's largest supply and catering concerns long ex experienced experienced ex- ex in serving servin feeding and housing personnel of mining and construction enterprises surveyed Moab for the possibilities of establishing a production production production tion company In this remote area Satisfied the Job could be bedone bedone bedone done Colleman reported back to Republic and orders were wore im- im issued for a camp and mess hall hail to accommodate people Wow Now well we'll find our exact location spots Ford told his production manager Lee Luka Luka- thor lher and together in a chartered United Air Lines plane they left for Moab where they landed on the modern airport there They were met by several of Continued on page two Republic Pictures Tells Tolls Story of Filming Local Feature Rio Grande Grandell Continued from first page the local businessmen and two National Park Service representatives representatives taUves Bates nates Wilson and Earl Worthington Acting as guides this group showed Ford the surroundIng surrounding sur sure rounding territory He JIe was seeking seeking seeking seek seek- ing different locations than those he had used for lor his previous picture First there was the famous famous famous fa- fa national monument the Arches then out to Dead Horse Point actually the beginning of the Grand Canyon Not quite satisfied Ford sought additional sites Two in particular struck his fancy faney Professor Professor Professor Pro Pro- fessor Valley VaHey and Castle Valley accessible only by means of a narrow dirt road which follows the bM h vl of the Colora do river And It it was was here here that Fords Ford's mind was made up But before any decision could be made a meeting with the Utah Road Commission was ar arranged arranged ar- ar arranged ranged to ask for help In widenIng widening widenIng widen widen- ing the river road so the heavy generator and sound trucks andall and andall all aU other rolling equipment could be driven Into the valley Arrangements were made to clear the road On May 31 a cOnstruction construction construction con cOn- crew from Republic left for lor Moab to begin building the sets that would be needed for forthe forthe forthe the story When Ford and his first contingent of production ex executives executives ex- ex landed at the Moab airport airport airport air air- port a little more than two two weeks later everything was in r readiness for tor the filming of Rio ruo Grande Republic lined up an Impressive Impressive sive roster of 01 talent to enact the story of Rio Grande John JohnWayne JohnWayne JohnWayne Wayne and Maureen OUara hold down the top starring rol roles Wayne is lly a regular In Ford films having appeared In eight previous pictures directed direct direct- ed by Ford including the memorable memorable mem mem- Stage Coach They Were Expendable Long Voyage Voyage Voyage Voy Voy- age Home and Fort Apache I Miss also has worked for lor Ford before One of her first pictures in America when she arrived in this country was How Green Was My Valley for lor which Ford won an Academy Award for his directing In Rio Grande Wayne Is cast as Col Cot Yorke head of ot the cavalry outpost situated on the border between Mexico and Texas while Miss OHara O'Hara plays his w wife le I starring Co roles were assigned assign assign- ed to Claude Janman Jarman Jr who pl plays ys the son of Wayne and Miss Ben Johnson Harry Harry Har Har- ry Carey Jr and Chill Chili Wills Others In the cast Include J. J Carroll Naish Victor Grant Withers Peter Ortiz Stanley Stanley Stan- Stan ley Icy Jones and the famed western western western west west- ern singing group Sons of the Pioneers Then began the arrival of the entire company By Ay airplane tru truck k and auto came the cast and the workers two Thirty pieces of equipment Including trucks busses and cars brought in camera and lighting equip equip- ment Five horse trucks containIng containing containing contain contain- ing five horses each were brought from a generator generator gen gene truck the sound truck and Ancl so on arrived Sixty Sidy Navajo In Indiana Indiana In In- diana d came by auto from Kayenta Kay Kay- Kayenta enta Ariz from rom the Navajo res res- A city of 29 tents had been erected Each housing five men menthe the tents had hot and cold running running run tune ning fling water shower hower baths electric electric electric elec elec- lighting and propane heat- heat Ing The one hotel was taken over likewise the three auto aut o courts The hall hail was eStablished established established es eS- es- es In a dance pavilion Here breakfast St and dinner were served while each day the An An- Dunham derson-Dunham Co hauled by means of a trailer steam table combination a hot lunch for lor the company on location The production office took over the local Chamber of Commerce Commerce Commerce Com Com- merce headquarters while the wardrobe department was housed housed hous- hous ed in a vacant building owned by the First National Bank of Moab I To supplement the stock brought from Hollywood Republic Re Re- Republic I public engaged the services of 90 00 horses from surrounding ranches Some were saddle horses hors hors- es while others were team horses for lor the giant wagons used in the picture Ten wagons from the Moab territory were added to the group trucked In from Hollywood Hollywood Hollywood Holly Holly- wood and 75 TS men women and children were hired as extras and bit players They were dressed In pioneer costumes from the film company's ward ward- robe The construction crew had built in its entirety a mammoth cavalry fort and an Indian village village vil vU- lage three blocks wide and two blocks long Altogether people people people peo peo- were transported from Hollywood Hol lidl- lywood with 75 added to o the company from the Moab residents resi resi- dents Sixty Navajo Indians and horses were u used More than gallons of water per day had to be transported to the location from Moab for lor cast and crew The averaged degrees de de- grees Fi Filming of Rio Grande began began began be be- gan on June 15 1950 It is one of the highest budgeted p pictures pic plc- tc- tc tures ever made by Republic To assure a maximum amount o of thrills more than wa was spent on stunts alone and 15 of Hol Hollywood's Hollywoods top stunt men were hired hind for the picture Miss OHara O'Hara wears six costumes costumes costumes cos cos- changes In the picture Three of these were designed and made by Republics Republic's head designer de designer designer de- de signer Adele Palmer from calleo calico calico cal cal- ico leo that was 75 years old which had been crated and delivered to a warehouse In the middle middle- west and had never been opened Of 01 the entire cast only Claude Jarman Jr and Chill ChilI Wills had never before worked for John For Ford Stan Jones who authored last years year's selling best song Ghost Riders In the Sky not only onty en enacted enacted en- en acted a featured rote role In the picture picture pic pie ture tore but also abo wrote four of the songs tongs for it Including the title song My Mi Gal Oal Is Purple Footsore Cavalry ry and Yellow w Stripes Two additional songs Kathl Kathleen n and end Down by th the e Glen Side stirring Irish ball ballads bal bat lads lade l de also are arc Included in the score which Is sung by Jones and the Sons of the Pioneers Beautiful fertile valleys Professor Professor Pro Pro- fessor lessor Valley and Castle Valley now dod In the federal federa 1 range lands nestle 2700 feet teet be below below below be- be low the towering mesas and Jagged Jagged jagged Jag Jag- ged outer outcroPPIngs pings on th the e north east find end west while to the south rise the snow snow-cappe snow capped d peaks of the La Sal range Directly under the snow cov ered mountains are some of na na- na formations tures ture's most amazing called they are Towers Fisher named after the man who al allegedly 91 so 10 discovered them Stabbing Stab crests Into th the their jagged blue bing air alt the they stand like giant silently protesting the creatures Infiltration of ot mere merc humans into their sacred domain After three weeks of filming In the Moab territory the company company com corn returned to Republic Studios Studios Studios Stu Stu- dios pany in North Hollywood for lor ads ad additional I ad-I scenes The picture was completed on July July 21 1950 The picture Is spectacularly thrilling in its theme of the U.S. U.S. U. U Ins S. S cavalry at a crucial period in inthe Inthe the turbulent history of the west In 1875 the United States and Mexico had signed treaties re respecting reE re- re E the the sovereign rights of each country Therefore U. U S. S S1 troops could not enter Mexico for tor any reason Natchez notorious ous Apache outlaw took advantage advantage tage of this treaty He and his hl age white-hating white warriors wound wouW d dm American villages villages vil vil- villages m make ke forays on I lages In Texas then scurry back across the Rio Grande Into Mexico Mex Mex- ico before they could be capr cap captured r Around this thu dramatic situatIon situation situa situa- tion hinges the tense nse action of ot the film rUm Wayne ag as the colonel In command of the cavalry foron for tor toron forn on the border had to choose be between bee be tween letting the Indians continue con ron their marauding or break ing the treaty i In o them A when his son IOn tObIt- tObIt as a. a recruit sent ent t 10 and hit whom he has be I 18 16 years follow I the e way out In pf of orde 11 II |