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Show A PACE lOURNAL ' B 1 .( Monday, April 24, 2006 V x pr xi r K E P ITO Elizabeth Bowler, R 586-199- 2 Southern Utah lives up to reputation as ideal spot for filming By KRYSTLE WHITNEY to Hollywood The Parry Brothers, three of them, even built a lodge to house film companies when they came to Utah, Sherratt said He said because of the number of moves filmed here, southern Utah, especially St George, has seen its fair share of actors Bonnie Beacham, ow ner of the Market Grill, said when she was 15 and working as a waitress at Dicks Cafe in St George, she was privileged to serve many actors, such as John Wayne, kwhitneysuujournal com There are few things Utah cant boast about It has great weather, good people and, most of all, amazing scenery Because of the scenery the state has seen a countless number of filmmakers coming to film movies and television senes, especially in southern Utah Susanne Haworth and Brian Keith Movies such as Mission Impossible: II and Austin Powers Beacham said she was very excited and very scared to serve ui Goldmember were two of hundreds filmed in the southern the actors However, they were kind and region of Utah of West respectful associate professor Terry films John Wayne was very polite, nice and Historically, said dozens upon communication, handsome, she said It was a privilege dozens of films have been filmed to w ait on him m the region because of the areas In contrast to how heavily guarded and natural beaut protected modern actors are when they Some Historically, a lot of films have been dine out, Beacham said she remembers of the because made here majestic filmed actors she associated with coming the scenery or with friends, not with alone m ) filmed with the led rock (scenery said most att Sheri R body guards Gerald Mayor Terry West John Wayne came in with groups of of the old westerns weie filmed m fneuds, and Brian Keith usually came the area He said the movie The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come w as by himself she said Trina Robinson, a senior communication majoi from Cedar even filmed in Cedar City neai w lieie the SUU cabin sits today It silent said a was The first film was in Kanab Slierratt City, said her grandmother who worked at the Escalante Hotel, a fancy hotel at the time, was also able to encounter actors and film I guess they first started coming to Utah m the 1920s filmmakers Sherratt said three biotheis liked Utah so much that they put I guess the hotel was right by the train station so when people together a folder containing images ot Utah and things used for films that are easily accessible m the region 'I hen they traveled got ofl of it they would go there, Robinson said She said her gi andmother w as able to clean John Waynes room and Dons Days loom on different occasions "She said John Waynes was nice and clean, and Dons Days as kind of a mess, Robinson said In order for filmmakers to come and film movies m the area, i hey must fust go to the film commission, Sherratt said West said he believes filming in this area can be good for a lot of have been made here because of the majestic westerns scenery. with the red were rock (scenery). the economy It draw s people in kind of like he said Its a real boost the Shal espearean Festival Besides the scenery West said he also believes filmmakers come to Ltoh because it is more accessible Our scenery is similai to othei states w here the move is based oil he said They come lieie because it is readily available Shen att aaiced southern Utah can offer filmmakers more than ! just scenery PHOTO COURTESY OF M AB TOMollUMENT A ALLEY FILM COMMISSION Monument Valley, located south of Blanding on the UtahArizona state line, has been pictured in dozens of movies filmed in southern Utah, such as Forrest Gump and many of John Waynes films. When We can oiler the props that they need, he said filming a w estern if they need a carnage or wagon w e have it for T ou w ont find much of those m Los Angeles them Robinson said when she watches movies, such as Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade, she thinks it is unique to see the scenes filmed in Utah I she said We have the scenery think it s cool, people want Utah: A Filmmaker's Paradise For decades, Utah has been featured as the backdrop for moms of alf genres, from vesterns and horror films to comedies f documentaries and adventure flicks . Some o f these films include: 2001 : A Space Odyssey (1968) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) Casablanca (1942) Back to the Future Part lit (1990) Maverick (t 994) Q, X, y . (1985) Better Oft Dead I1 tt Slickers (1 994) City " X U Air Con (t 997) Daniel Boone (1926) Drive Me Crazy (1999) jDumb & Dumber (1934) Exorcist It: The Heretic (1977) Flintstones, The (1334) ' Footloose (1934) Forrest Gump (1994) - j Galaxy Quest (1939) Halloween (1SCQ, 1989, 1995, 2002) How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) Independence Day (1939) Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade (1933) The Lone Ranger (1956) Mission: Impossible It (2000) Mr. Krueger's Christmas (1980) Planet cf the Apes (1968, 2001) The Sandlot (1993) Superman lit (1983) The Ten Commandments (1956) Thelma & Louise (1991) V -- - Source: www.ldsfiln.comutah loc.html ELIZABETH BOWLER UNIVERSITY JOURNAL |