A History of Utah Film: The First 100 Years

Covered Wagon: The First Movie Filmed in Utah & The Birth of Cinematic History

In 1924, The Covered Wagon and The Deadwood Coach were released, beginning the story of Utah’s century-old film history. Although The Deadwood Coach is now a lost film, it still marked the start of Utah’s Wild West movie era, much like The Covered Wagon did.

The Covered Wagon was a silent Western film set against Utah’s Antelope Island and Millard County backdrop. Directed by James Cruze and based on a 1922 novel, this movie tells the story of a group of pioneers trekking through the Wild West, making the arduous journey from Kansas to Oregon. You’ll recognize Antelope Island in multiple scenes featuring 500 buffalo (the largest herd at that time), creating epic hunting scenes in this feature film. The Covered Wagon still stands as one of the most iconic silent-era films and the first big-budget Western movie from Hollywood studios. Here’s a fun fact: The movie uses real-life covered wagons owned by families who brought them from the West. And some of these family members were featured in The Covered Wagon as extras.

After the release of The Covered Wagon and The Deadwood Coach, movie directors and celebrities started flocking to Utah to find the perfect filming location for their new Western films.

The Wild West Era: How Utah Earned the Nickname “Little Hollywood”

Once Hollywood stars and directors discovered Southern Utah in 1924, it became the new Wild West for countless films. Kanab and Kane County, Utah, in particular, became a hot spot for movie scenes, earning their name as “Little Hollywood” and being featured as the backdrop for over 200 Westerns, feature films, and TV shows. Starting in the 1920s, Kanab’s Parry Lodge became known as the temporary home for generations of several star-studded actors like Telly Savalas, Dean Martin, Gregory Peck, Clint Eastwood, and John Wayne while filming took place. 

John Wayne especially fell in love with Southern Utah’s rugged landscape, filming 11 westerns in this breathtaking state. Monument Valley coined the name “John Wayne Country,” and the famed western star remarked, “Monument Valley is the place where God put the West.” A few of Wayne’s classics—Stagecoach (1939), Fort Apache (1948), and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), Rio Grande (1950), The Searchers (1956)—were all shot in Monument Valley, setting a precedent for many other westerns. 

Southern Utah wasn’t just beloved by John Wayne in the 1930s and beyond. Western classics like The Lone Ranger (1938 and 1956), Billy the Kid (1941), El Dorado (1967), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), and Jeremiah Johnson (1972) took place in Kanab Canyon, the ghost town of Grafton, Zion National Park, St. George, Snow Canyon National Park, and surrounding areas. While filming Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Jeremiah Johnson, Robert Redford fell in love with Utah’s landscape. Recognizing the state’s potential, he bought land in Northern Utah in 1969, now known as Sundance, which hosts the yearly Sundance Film Festival. 

From this point on, Utah became a hotbed for cult classics and more, attracting filmmakers year-round.

Famed Classics: How Utah Continued to Rise to Fame

Following the Western boom of the 1930s to 1970s, Utah expanded as a backdrop for numerous classic films across various genres:

Footloose (1984): Filming for the 1980s, Footloose took place across Utah County at Payson High School, Lehi Roller Mills, First Presbyterian Church in American Fork, Geneva Steel, and other popular landmarks. The story follows a city boy moving to small-town Texas who tries to overturn the local minister’s ban on dancing. This made-in-Utah iconic film was an instant success among viewers, earning a spot ​​as the seventh-highest-grossing film in 1984.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989): Select scenes from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were filmed in Utah’s Arches National Park. The opening scene, for example, features South Park Avenue with a young Indiana Jones challenging grave robbers who are stealing a golden crucifix. The Double Arch and a cave in Arches National Park are also in the famous movie, adding to the unique and other-worldly elements of the film.

Thelma And Louise (1991): Thelma And Louise was shot throughout Southern Utah. One famed scene occurs at Arches National Park’s The Courthouse Towers when Thelma and Louise trap an officer in his patrol car trunk. The last scene in the movie, when the car supposedly flies above the Grand Canyon, is shot in Dead Horse Point State Park.

The Sandlot (1993): Although this famous movie is set in the San Fernando Valley of California, it was filmed in Utah cities, Midvale, Salt Lake City, and Ogden. This classic follows a group of teenage boys who play baseball daily during the summer, each with a different skill level. The movie changes directions when a new kid, Smalls, moves into town and doesn’t have a clue about baseball. The Sandlot is a nostalgic family favorite that’s only gotten better with time. Watch out for familiar spots you may have visited in Northern Utah when watching this popular film.

Forrest Gump (1994): Utah’s Monument Valley was the background for Forrest Gump’s Forrest Gump Point, the well-known spot where Forrest concluded his grand run in the 1994 classic. Located north of the landmark on US Scenic Highway 163, you can spot views of Monument Valley behind Forrest as he finishes the epic run in the film. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks, this movie is thought-provoking, comedic at times, and tragic, exploring themes like innocence, loss, and abuse.

Dumb and Dumber (1994): Featuring stars Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, Dumb and Dumber tells the tale of two foolish but well-intentioned friends who embark on a cross-country road trip to return a briefcase full of money to the supposed owner. With filming locations like Salt Lake City, Ogden, Park City, and American Fork Canyon, the Dumb and Dumber cast transformed Utah into a comedic backdrop for their adventure.

Independence Day (1996): The 1996 movie starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman, and Jeff Goldblum was filmed in a few of Utah’s iconic landmarks. Bonneville Salt Flats was the ideal, out-of-this-world backdrop for the popular movie’s alien crash and RV caravan scenes. The Wendover Airfield was the setting for El Toro and Area 51 in Independence Day, highlighting military presence, alien activity, and urban myths.

Planet of the Apes (2001): Like the original, the 2001 production of Planet of the Apes was filmed at Utah’s Lake Powell and several other locations worldwide. This famous movie features astronaut Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) crashing on a planet home to intelligent apes. As he discovers the apes treat humans as enslaved people, Leo partners with a fellow ape to start a rebellion and return to where he’s from.

Modern-Day Hits: Utah’s Impact on the Movie Industry

From the 2000s to today, Utah remains a premier backdrop for several famous films. Here are 5 blockbuster movies from the last two decades you may not know were filmed in Utah:

1. Mission: Impossible 2 (2000): Did you know that the opening scene of Mission: Impossible 2 was filmed in Utah? Shot in Moab, Utah’s Dead Horse Point State Park, the moment features Tom Cruise’s character climbing a large rock face. Here’s a fun fact about the scene: Cruise did wear a harness and thin wire but opted out of a safety net. The result? He tore his shoulder while jumping from one part of the cliff to another.
2. 127 Hours (2010): Based on a true story about Aron Ralston, a man who got trapped between a boulder in Canyonlands National Park, the film was shot predominantly right where it happened: in the narrow Bluejohn Canyon, a tributary of the expansive Horshoe Canyon. It’s a harrowing story featuring celebrity James Franco, highlighting Aron’s resiliency and determination to survive.
3. National Treasure (2004): National Treasure is an exciting, action-packed film that follows Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) hunting for a rumored treasure linked to the Declaration of Independence. The opening sequence, which takes place in the frozen Arctic, is actually filmed in Strawberry Reservoir, southeast of Heber, Utah.
4. High School Musical 1, 2, and 3: Senior Year (2006, 2007, 2008): Disney Channel’s hit classics High School Musical 1, 2, and 3: Senior Year were all filmed in Utah. The high school featured is East High School in Salt Lake City—and Sharpay’s famous pink locker is still there. For the second film, Snow Canyon Country Club’s Inn at Entrada in St. George, Utah, was transformed into Lava Springs Country Club, which employed the students during their summer vacation.

Hereditary (2018): The disturbing, popular horror film Hereditary tells the story of a grieving family afflicted by sinister occurrences after the passing of their secretive grandmother. Shot primarily in Salt Lake City, Park City, and Sandy, Utah, this Sundance film quickly became a sensation, earning $82.85 million worldwide at the box office. If you’d like to visit a few filming locations, check out Sandy’s Larkin Sunset Gardens for the funeral scene and Salt Lake City’s West High School for the school shots.

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