The Old Tucson Movie Studio!

Today we visited the Old Tucson Movie Studio, located southwest of Tucson in Pima County's Tucson Mountain Park.  Not well know by people outside the movie industry or on the East Coast, the studio was, until a 1995 fire that destroyed most of the original "back lot" structures, the second-most used movie location in the U.S., after only Hollywood itself.

The studio was built in in 1939 when Columbia Pictures chose the Pima County-owned site on which to build a replica of 1860′s Tucson for the movie Arizona."  Members of the local Thono O'odham native American tribe built the 50 original buildings in 40 days.  Members of that tribe also acted as extras in that first motion picture.

After the fire, and 20 months of reconstruction, Old Tucson re-opened its doors in 1997. The sets that were lost were not recreated; instead, entirely new buildings were constructed, and the streets were widened. The soundstage was not rebuilt. Film production at Old Tucson was seriously affected by the fire. In 2011, Old Tucson embarked on a project to build new movie-quality sets that fill out the park and restore the pre-fire feel of close-together buildings, providing the look and depth of a genuine old west town circa 1865-1900.  The current facility boasts sound stages and other facilities for movie filming and production that continue today.

Over 700 productions have been filmed here, including over 250 full-length motion pictures.  John Wayne acted in four movies filmed here.  Some of the well-known films using this location were "Shootout at the OK Corral," "Tombstone," and "The Alamo," starring John Wayne.  Television series filmed here included most of the "Little House on the Prairie" series, "Bonanza," and "Highway to Heaven."  In fact, that masterpiece of modern comedy, "Three Amigos," with Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short, employed the lot, and the hotel remains as it was remodeled for that movie:

Perhaps a half dozen of the original buildings survived the fire.  One of them is currently displayed as a model of the first Arizona schoolhouse, although the building was used as a bar in a number of films:

The studio contains many smaller sets, including a native American village, the set for "High Chapparal," a TV series, and a mine:

The studio offers a number of attractios, including shootouts and other live performances throughout the day.  There are trail rides and a stagecoach ride:

An old Baldwin locomotive was acquired by the studio for use in many Western films.  Here's David at the controls:

Kathy tried her hand running the locomotive, too:

Twice a day, a walking tour is led by a staff member who fills the crowd in on the studio's history:

Among the factoids offered on the tour was that Golden Gate Mountain, shown below, featured in many, if not most, of the movies filmed here:

We didn't tarry long at the Crooked Creek Cemetery, because it appeared to be still in use:

The old Mission, on the set, has been used in many ways in films over the years:

Despite its extensive  use, however, it is not a whole building.  As we walked around the lot, we claimed a glimpse of its rear elevation - it is just a facade:

The front of the Mission is used for a demonstration of stunt performances.  In this scene, if you look carefully you will see a stuntman falling from the right-hand tower, his shadow showing his helpless plight:

To cap off our visit, we attended "Old Tucson - A Musical History of the Silver Screen," performed in a combination of live singing and clips from famous films produced here:

The visit was quite a treat, and left us with a much greater appreciation for the number and breadth of Western films made over the years - including those made here.  It was interesting to see how some of the same buildings and facades were used with widely varying effects in various motion pictures.  We could understand how John Wayne - who purchased a part interest in the studio - and Michael Landon, who acted and directed here frequently - could come to love this location for their work.