MONUMENT VALLEY: THE MOVIES

John Ford, John Wayne, and Monument Valley...all three are icons of the American West which came together in 1938 when Harry Goulding introduced John Ford to the valley in Ford's making of STAGECOACH.

Harry and Mike Goulding's trip to Hollywood was a success.  They had a $5,000 advance and instructions to get ready for the coming movie crew.  Tent cities were set up and the street was named "Hollywood and Vine".  Just getting the big trucks in was no small accomplishment because the roads were dirt and although they only get 8" of rain a year, when it does rain everything is a mess.  When it doesn't rain, the sand is loose.

John Ford went on to make more movies in Monument Valley such as THE SEARCHERS,  CHEYENE AUTUMN, FORT APACHE, SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON, MY DARLING CLEMENTINE, SERGEANT RUTLEDGE and RIO GRANDE.

Mike and I spent two nights in Monument Valley and both nights rented Westerns...STAGECOACH and THE SEARCHERS.  I have to confess that I think highly of myself to be able to "figure things out" in movies...but in THE SEARCHERS, I couldn't get what John Wayne's character's angst was all about.  We watched it and gave it a "ho hum".  Then we found the DVD option of Peter Bogdanovich explaining the subplot and camera angles.  That was fascinating and the movie made sense!  Loved seeing a teenage Natalie Wood and her real little sister Lana, who played Natalie as a girl in the movie.

Monument Valley then became a familiar backdrop for many movies that weren't just Westerns.  FORREST GUMP turned around in Monument Valley, THELMA AND LOUISE drove through, Tom Cruise began MISSION IMPOSSIBLE on a mesa in the valley, and many an anvil was dropped off of a mesa onto the Road Runner. 

On the Cruses' visit, we got to see Optimus Prime (above) shooting his new TRANSFORMERS FOUR. 

                                                                                                                                                                           

In July, the remake of THE LONE RANGER will be out.  Here is Johnny Depp on set, shaking hands with the president of the Navajo nation.

What in the world has Depp done to Tonto?

If this man looks unapproachable, that was his reputation.  Director John Ford's personality was known to be irascible and intimidating, but his movies were also the model for many other directors.  When Orson Welles was asked his favorite director, he answered "John Ford, John Ford, and John Ford."

Mr. Ford must have had some need to "take down" actors (men and women) so that he could get a performance from them.  Know who John Ford was the most ruthless with?  The Duke.  It was said that he berated John Wayne in front of the crew regularly and mercilessly.

This is what the Navajo have called "John Ford Point"...because the director would go out and sit to think about how to put together his storyboards.  The Indian rides out every day in full regalia and when he gets back from the point, visitors can pay him to have their picture made beside him or on his horse.

Perhaps it all was win-win.  John Ford made John Wayne a star, the movies won John Ford six Oscars, and Monument Valley became one of America's favorite destinations.