Moab, Utah

According to Alias Smith and Jones: The Story of Two Pretty Good Bad Men, the cast and crew of the show filmed scenes for third season episodes in the Moab area for about three weeks during the summer of 1972. Coincidentally, I was in Moab from July 18 – 22, 2010, some of the same days that ASJ was there 38 years earlier (though I actually departed on July 23rd). It was a memorable experience being there the same time that ASJ had been in Moab! This blog entry describes the general area of Moab; future entries will discuss specific places where ASJ filmed scenes for episodes.

Moab is located in southeastern Utah, in the high desert and surrounded by red cliffs and canyons with the Colorado River running through. The downtown part of Moab extends along both sides of US 191 for about three miles and each side of the road is lined with art galleries, adventure tour companies, restaurants, shops, and places to stay for most of it. The Visitor Information Center is excellent—filled with informational brochures about the area and an extensive collection of books, including one I bought that contained pictures of Wanted posters of the numerous outlaws that operated in Utah.

At the north end of town, just before crossing the Colorado River Bridge, a right turn brings you onto Highway 128, which winds along the Colorado River. At this point, the river is not very wide and the road is considered a scenic byway because of the steep cliffs and canyons that the road cuts through, always with the river just a few yards away and no guardrails for protection. There are designated camping areas along the road. At Mile 14, you reach the Red Cliffs Lodge, which has a winery with daily wine tastings. Two of the wines it produces are called Kid Red and Outlaw Red (see photos above). I supposed it's only fitting that I liked Outlaw Red best, in appreciation of my two favorite outlaws! In addition, Red Cliffs Lodge has a museum dedicated to the many movies, TV shows, commercials, and music videos that have been filmed in the area (see photo above).

I was very curious as to whether or not ASJ would be represented in the museum. I was not disappointed! There is a poster-like display that includes some photos from the show and in the center, text that lists the actors who were filming in the area, an explanation of the premise of ASJ, and a list of places where the show filmed (see photo above). There are similar “posters” for all the movies and TV shows filmed around Moab. I didn’t know that the pilot for McGyver was made here! In addition, there are props, costumes, scripts, pictures of movie actors, displays about the locals who were involved in the films, TV shows, commercials, and music videos produced there and displays about various behind-the-scenes aspects of producing the movies. One of the displays is of three rifles that were used as props on ASJ, according to the informational caption (see photo above). One alcove is a tribute to John Wayne, who filmed several movies in the area. It is a great place!

If you stay on US 191 and cross the Colorado River Bridge, very soon after that you can make a left turn onto a road called, simply, Potash. Driving this sixteen mile road, which also wends its way along the Colorado River, takes you past ancient Indian petrogylphs high up the face of a cliff (see photo above)—fortunately, there is a sign saying, erroneously, “Indian Writing” to tell you where they are, and you can park at the side of the road—and then, a short ways beyond, another sign that directs you up a short hill to a parking area where you can view, again high up on a cliff, dinosaur tracks. There are also places from which you can see natural arches in the cliff walls and, when the road comes to an end, a potash plant. According to the display in the movie museum, ASJ also filmed around the potash plant. I do not know where exactly that might have been, but I’d like to think it used the train tracks and train from the plant in The Long Chase (see photo above).

At the end of Six Strangers at Apache Springs, Kid says, “What now?” Heyes replies, “Something restful. How about going down the Colorado River in a barrel?”

Well, Moab is known for its adventure travel opportunities: mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, motorcycle and 4-wheel drive tours, river rafting. But it is also possible to take a more sedate jet boat cruise along the Colorado River and that is what I did. Many such trips are available and I did a late afternoon cruise that lasted 75 minutes; it was very pleasant and interesting to see the area from the river which, here, does not really have many rapids (see photo above). The boat trip was followed by a “cowboy dinner,” which meant all the food was cooked in Dutch ovens. When I inquired, I was told that around 9pm, the food is put into the Dutch ovens and left to cook there until the following evening when people return from the cruise. I thought the BBQ chicken, BBQ beef, BBQ spicy pork, beans, corn and desert were pretty good!

So if you want an active trip or prefer a more quiet and relaxing vacation, there is something for everyone in Moab. It was a great place to visit and the fact that ASJ had been there made it all the more fun.

Webpage for the Red Cliffs Lodge movie museum (scroll down partway to read the text):
https://redcliffslodge.com/property/moab-museum-film-western-heritage/

Descriptions of the drives along Highway 128 and Potash Road (plus a third drive mentioned in a subsequent blog entry):
http://www.discovermoab.com/byways.htm

Old Tucson Studios

For anyone interested in the history of Westerns, Old Tucson Studios is not to be missed (see photo at right)! Located on the outskirts of Tucson near the Saguaro National Park, it is basically in the middle of nowhere. Starting in 1939 and continuing up to the present day, more than 70 movies have been filmed at Old Tucson Studios along with several TV shows though not, alas, ASJ.

Be sure to start your visit with a guided tour, which is led by a film historian. This provides a great introduction to all the sets and helps bring the place to life. I’ve blogged previously about some of the movies filmed at Old Tucson Studios: Winchester ’73, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Rio Bravo, The Outrage, and Hombre. The tour guide pointed out where scenes in various movies occurred (see photo above of building used in Rio Bravo and several other films). One thing that struck me is how small the sets are in real life but how, in the movie, they look very expansive—excellent cinematography, for sure. It was really cool to see the sets where these movies were made!

Other movies that I haven’t blogged about (though I may in the future) which were filmed here include: the original version of 3:10 to Yuma, The Three Amigos, 1993’s Tombstone, and The Quick and the Dead. Old Tucson Studios also was the location for a number of TV shows, including High Chaparral, Little House on the Prairie, and The Young Riders. The sets used for the first two shows mentioned above are a little ways off from the main area (see photo above); when I walked over there, there was no one else around, which helped me better imagine the shows.

Once the tour is over, you can walk around and visit places on your own. This is really nice because, unlike the Universal Studios tour where you have to stay with your tour guide, you can take as much time as you want and go anywhere you please. It took me about three hours to wander around but not only was I very interested, I was also taking tons of photos. Old Tucson Studios did not seem crowded while I was walking around but when I watched two shows, there were plenty of people in the audiences. One unusual set was the Chinese alley, set up to resemble what I suppose was the movies’ idea of a typical Chinese street in the nineteenth century (see photo above).

Every day, there are two gunfight shows involving Billy the Kid, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, and also a can-can show (see photo at right of dancers). In addition, there are exhibits of props used in some of the movies produced at Old Tucson Studios, as well as exhibits of other artifacts from the time of the Old West. You can also watch a couple short documentaries about the movies that were made here. For kids—and the young at heart—there are stagecoach rides, a shooting gallery, and the opportunity to pan for gold, along with several other activities.

Last but not least, there are some restaurants and gift shops on site. I happened to see both a Wanted poster and a newspaper with my name on them (see photos above) but unlike Wheat, I bought them. Watch out, Kid and Heyes—it looks like you have some competition!

Official website of Old Tucson Studios:
http://www.oldtucson.com

Old Tucson Studios webpage about the movies filmed there:
http://www.oldtucson.com/films-producers-directors/film-history

Fort Huachuca

“Ain’t much a black man can do these days.” -- Joe Simms, when asked by Hannibal Heyes how he became a bounty hunter.

Actually, he could have become a Buffalo Soldier, joining one of the Army regiments for African-Americans that were formed after the Civil War. Buffalo Soldiers arrived in Arizona in 1885 and fought in the Indian Wars against the Apaches (see photo at right). They were noted for their military prowess and had the lowest rate of desertion in the Army.

Beginning in 1892, four Buffalo Soldier regiments served at Fort Huachuca, which is located near the town of Sierra Vista in southeastern Arizona: the 9th and 10 Cavalry, and the 24th and 25th Infantry (see photo at right depicting the present-day Army base). Their duties were to protect the civilian population from the Apaches who raided in the area and to capture Apaches who were fighting against the American government, one of whom was Geronimo. Interestingly, Frederic Remington drew many sketches of soldiers based at Fort Huachuca as they performed their work; one illustration made the cover of Harper’s Weekly magazine, which helped propel him to the forefront of artists depicting life in the American West.

Fort Huachuca is still an active Army base and its primary function today relates to the gathering of military intelligence. Two museums on the base showcase its history. One is the Fort Huachuca Museum which details, in chronological order, the historical events that the soldiers at the base were involved with; two buildings near each other house this museum. In a third nearby building is the U.S. Army Intelligence Museum, which explains the history of military intelligence. After providing photo identification at the checkpoint entrance, one is free to drive around the base to the museums.

When Caroline and Mr. Fielding talk about the Apaches in Six Strangers at Apache Springs, I wonder if Buffalo Soldiers played any role in that. And Joe Simms in The Bounty Hunter would have had a very different life if he'd been a Buffalo Soldier.

 

Related Link:

Magazine article: The Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Huachuca

Tombstone: Gunfight at the OK Corral

“Five years from now, there won’t be two people in the whole country even remember the marshal of Tombstone. What kind of name is that anyway—Earp?” -- Hannibal Heyes to Kid Curry in Which Way to the OK Corral?

In this ASJ episode, it is clear the Kid and Heyes know who Wyatt Earp is and it is also apparent that the Gunfight at the OK Corral has not yet occurred. Much has been written about the thirty-second gunfight between the Earps, Clantons, and McLaurys and there is nothing new I can add to the explanation of what happened that day on October 26, 1881. Instead, I will offer a description of how Tombstone today showcases the seminal moment in its history.

Wandering around the downtown area of Tombstone, signs in the street in front of various buildings explain their historical significance and many of the signs note a connection to the Earps. One such building, the Oriental Saloon, was partially owned by Wyatt Earp and was where he and Doc Holliday worked as faro dealers on occasion (see photo at above right). The street outside the Oriental saloon is where Virgil Earp was killed after the gunfight at the OK Corral. The building is currently divided into several smaller places of business (see photo above).

But despite evidence of the Earp’s other activities in Tombstone, it is impossible to escape the legacy of the confrontation between them and the Cowboys. From the shops selling T-shirts with their pictures emblazoned on them--in classic gunfighter stance--and other memorabilia to the innumerable books about them, the influence of Wyatt, his brothers, Doc Holliday, the Clantons, and the McLaurys permeates this town.

Of course, the main reason for visiting Tombstone is to see where the actual gunfight occurred at the OK Corral. To do so, one must buy a ticket ($10) that entitles you to: watch a reenactment by actors of the famous (or infamous, depending on your perspective) fight, which is offered several times during the day in an outdoor theater near the actual location; visit the actual location where the gunfight occurred, which is now populated by life-sized animatronic figures of the persons involved in the gunfight (see photo above); wander around the area (which is enclosed by a wall so prying eyes are unable to see inside unless they buy a ticket) and visit the Fly boarding house where Big Nose Kate witnessed the gunfight from Doc Holliday’s room, as well as see other exhibits about life as a cowhand and a working blacksmith’s shop; watch a multimedia presentation at the Historama about Tombstone’s history, narrated by Vincent Price; and pick up a copy of the Tombstone Epitaph article about the gunfight, written the day after it occurred. Whatever one thinks about the gunfight itself and how Tombstone markets it to tourists, it is certainly an enjoyable way to spend a few hours where an event of such historic import happened.

On the outskirts of Tombstone, heading north towards Tucson, is Boothill Graveyard. This cemetery is where the Clantons and McClaurys are buried (see photo at right). Although not within walking distance of downtown Tombstone, it is definitely worth a visit. Besides the graves of outlaws and more respectable citizens, there is an area where Chinese residents of Tombstone are buried as well as, a short distance away, a section where the Jewish residents were interred. Viewing the graves neatly laid out in rows, with a view of the town below, makes it easy to contemplate the history of the Old West and reflect upon the events that happened in Tombstone 129 years ago during the Gunfight at the OK Corral.

About the Oriental Saloon:
http://www.tombstonetimes.com/stories/oriental.html

Article describing the events leading up to the gunfight and its aftermath:
http://www.jcs-group.com/oldwest/tombstone/corral.html

Tombstone: Conrad Meyer Zulick

Conrad Meyer Zulick was born on June 3, 1839 in Easton, Pennsylvania. He became a lawyer and after serving in the Civil War, moved to New Jersey and became active in Democratic politics. Zulick also developed business interests in Arizona and northern Mexico and he moved to Tombstone towards the end of 1884.

The ASJ episode The Strange Fate of Conrad Meyer Zulick highlights an important incident in Zulick’s life. It is true that in 1885, Zulick was being held prisoner by Mexican copper miners in the state of Sonora because of a financial dispute the workers had with the mine company that employed them. It is also true that M.T. “Doc” Donovan, a former Indian scout, organized a rescue of Zulick, which occurred early in the morning. And it is true that once freed, Donovan and Zulick made their way back to the United States in a wagon, with Zulick hiding under a tarpaulin. It is not true, however, that Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry were recruited by Donovan to assist in the rescue mission.

When he crossed the border back into the United States, Zulick was told that he’d been appointed Governor of the Territory of Arizona by President Grover Cleveland. Zulick was Arizona’s seventh governor and its first from the Democratic Party. His arrival in Tombstone was greeted warmly and he took the oath of office in the lobby of the Occidental Hotel, part of which is currently a bookstore and saddlery (see photo above).

When it was built in 1883, the Occidental Hotel was two stories high, but the top floor no longer exists (see two photos of exterior at right and below; note date on facade that predates the actual hotel). In 1885, when Zulick became Governor, the Occidental Hotel occupied much of the block between Fourth and Allen Streets.

Conrad Meyer Zulick remained in Arizona for several years after his term of office ended in 1889. He moved back East after he retired and died on March 2, 1926.