Monument Valley: How John Ford created the American West in "Stagecoach," "My Darling Clementine" and other classics

Sunrise in Monument Valley (2022): The Mittens and Merrick Butte

For movie location enthusiasts with a soft spot for old Westerns, much of our love for the genre can be traced back to John Ford's work in Monument Valley.

 

John Ford in 1955, filming "The Searchers" at today's "John Ford Point"

The legendary director had such an impact on the valley that parts of the landscape wound up being named after him. The above site, where Ford was photographed in the director's chair during filming on his acclaimed 1956 Western "The Searchers," is known today as "John Ford Point."

 

John Ford Point in modern times

The view today from John Ford Point remains spectacular, and little has changed since Ford filmed there from the late 1930s into the 1960s. (Please click on these photos if you'd like to see them in a larger format.)

 

A view of Monument Valley from Hunts Mesa: So many buttes, so little time

Other views of the valley are equally spectacular. An expanse of Navajo land spreading out across the Arizona-Utah border, Monument Valley stands today as a towering symbol of the American West.

 

Looking southwest from Artist's Point in Monument Valley

But that wasn't always the case. Until John Ford took the point on Hollywood's migration to Monument Valley in the late 1930s, the region remained well off the radar of most Americans.

 

Harry Goulding, who brought Hollywood to Monument Valley

Legend has it that Ford became interested in Monument Valley through the efforts of Harry Goulding, who ran a trading post in the valley. Goulding courted Hollywood in an attempt to bring money to the region, which had been hit hard by the Depression during the 1930s.

 

Goulding soaks up a view of some of Monument Valley's northernmost features

The story is told that Goulding gathered up photos of the magnificent buttes he and his wife had fallen in love with years earlier and took them to Hollywood.

 

"Stagecoach" (1939): John Ford introduces the world to Monument Valley

One of the first filmmakers to see those photos was John Ford, who quickly recognized Monument Valley as the ideal backdrop for any number of the Great American Westerns he would soon make.

 

Monument Valley, captured in a promo still for Ford's "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949)

Historians today credit Ford with playing a key role in shaping the world's image not just of the American West but of America as a nation. That image was forged largely in Monument Valley.

 

"Stagecoach" (1939): Ford's epic showcases Monument Valley's "Mittens"

Examples of Monument Valley's iconic rock features can be found throughout much of Ford's work. This classic shot from "Stagecoach" makes the most of the Mittens, two of the valley's most familiar buttes.

 

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949): A return engagement for the Mittens

Ten years after "Stagecoach," Ford used a similar angle to film John Wayne and Cliff Lyons riding past the Mittens in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" — in color this time.

 

Henry Fonda at the Mittens in Ford's "My Darling Clementine" (1946)

Ford's integration of Monument Valley into landmark Westerns such as "Stagecoach," "Fort Apache" and "The Searchers," combined with Hollywood's powerful worldwide distribution reach, brought the mystique of the American West to an international audience, helping to influence impressions of the U.S. around the globe.

 

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949): West Mitten, Monument Valley

I recently caught an airing of "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" on TV, and was impressed with the prominent role played by Monument Valley in the film's storytelling. This shot shows the location where Ford chose to build his set for Fort Stark, with the West Mitten looming in the background.

 

Monument Valley's West Mitten Butte in 2005

This scenic shot of the West Mitten approximates movie angles seen in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon." The film is the second installment in Ford's "Cavalry trilogy," following "Fort Apache" and preceding "Rio Grande."

 

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon": Is that a war party near the West Mitten?

The Mittens reappear throughout the movie. While a number of other Arizona and Utah locations are also seen, "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" is one of Ford's best showcases for Monument Valley.

 

John Wayne rides past West Mitten in a still from "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" is also the only film in Ford's "Cavalry trilogy" to be shot in color. But as was the practice at the time, promotional stills for the movie were released in black-and-white.

 

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon": The same spot featured in the promo still

This shot from the movie is taken from virtually the same location as the promotional still above. This angle, taken with the camera facing west, is less common than views of the West Mitten taken from the other side.

 

John Wayne amid some familiar landmarks in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"

Another shot from "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" shows John Wayne with a distant butte near the center of the frame, along with a large mesa to the left.

 

The same background in 2018

The same mesa and butte can be seen again in this recent photo. The large mesa on the left is a section of Sentinel Mesa. The smaller butte has multiple names and includes a feature known as Bear and Rabbit Summit.

 

John Ford Point in modern times, including Merrick Butte

John Ford Point tends to be easy to recognize, with Merrick Butte, the large rectangular formation seen here near the center of the frame, dominating much of the landscape. This shot is taken looking north.

 

Major features to the north of John Ford Point

The features on display looking north from John Ford Point are a mix of Arizona and Utah landmarks. Merrick Butte and West Mitten are in Arizona, while Big Indian and Bear and Rabbit Summit are across the border in Utah.

 

Ford's "Cheyenne Autumn" (1964): Another visit to John Ford Point

In "Cheyenne Autumn," Ford placed a Cavalry unit atop John Ford Point to give the troops a wide view of the valley. In this shot about half of Merrick Butte is visible at the left of the frame.

 

Gore Verbinski's "The Lone Ranger" (2013): John Ford Point again

Contemporary filmmakers continue to take inspiration from Ford's use of Monument Valley, and continue to follow in his footsteps. Gore Verbinski's 2013 "Lone Ranger" remake with Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer was a critical disaster, but viewers who manage to sit through the movie are at least rewarded with some terrific scenery.

 

Charlize Theron and Seth MacFarlane at John Ford Point
in "A Million Ways to Die in the West" (2014)

One year after Verbinski's catastrophic "Lone Ranger" remake, Seth MacFarlane's gross-out Western comedy "A Million Ways to Die in the West" paid similar homage to Ford, once again making good use of John Ford Point.

 

All roads lead to "John Ford's Point"

John Ford Point today — also referred to as "John Ford's Point" — is a magnet for tourists ... so much so that if you visit here and don't stop for a photo op, something might be wrong with you.

 

Call it what you will

Is it "John Ford Point" or "John Ford's Point"? Take your pick — you can find plenty of evidence for either version of the name. It's just one example of the pervasive name confusion found all over Monument Valley.

 

John Ford Point in modern times, as a tourist attraction

A visit to Monument Valley in modern times usually means putting up with other tourists. In this photo we can see people standing on top of the point and cars creeping along a dirt road across the valley floor.

 

The Navajo rider appears at John Ford Point (Moyan Brenn photo, ca. 2011)

An added attraction these days is the occasional appearance by a mounted rider on horseback, often identified as a Navajo, who will ride out to the point for a small fee to pose for photos.

 

Photo ops abound today at John Ford Point

Almost any nostalgic photo fantasy can be fulfilled in Monument Valley for a small fee. Tipping is encouraged.

 

"The Searchers" (1956): Yei Bi Chei, center, and the Totem Pole

In this shot from "The Searchers," John Ford trains the camera on Yei Bi Chei, one of only a handful of features in Monument Valley that are still generally known by their Native American name.

 

Features seen in "The Searchers"

The shot also includes the Totem Pole to the right as the riders, dwarfed by the massive rock formations, are seen riding past Yei Bi Chei.

 

John Ford filming "The Searchers" near the Totem Pole

Ford was also photographed on the job in the vicinity of the Totem Pole during filming on "The Searchers." The Totem Pole can be seen to the left of the director's hat.

 

Ford on location on "The Searchers"

More than a few people who were involved in John Ford productions have said he could be hard to work with. You tell me: Does this guy look like someone who might be difficult?

 

"How the West Was Won" (1962): A return to a familiar location

Another Ford project, the 1962 epic "How the West Was Won," again filmed in the same area and again captured both Yei Bi Chei and the Totem Pole. Ford was one of four directors on the sprawling Western — I'm assuming he oversaw the Monument Valley sequences.

 

Yei Bi Chei and the Totem Pole in 2008 (Kenneth Christian photo)

Like the rest of Monument Valley's movie rocks, both Yei Bi Chei and the Totem Pole remain on proud display today and are among the natural wonders that draw a steady stream of tourists to the valley.

 

Three Sisters (2022): Some visitors may be more interested in the sign

Another rock formation that appears to have caught the eye of John Ford is known as Three Sisters.

 

Filming "The Searchers" in 1955 near Three Sisters

A behind-the-scenes photo taken during filming on "The Searchers" reveals that Ford had a camera track set up to shoot John Wayne and others as they rode near the distinctive rock formation.

 

"Cheyenne Autumn" (1964): The crew chows down against a picturesque backdrop

Several years later, crew members on another John Ford movie, "Cheyenne Autumn," spent their lunch break beneath the Three Sisters, not far from where the camera track was built for "The Searchers."

 

"The Vanishing American" (1925): Thought to be the first movie to film in Monument Valley

Ford's arrival in 1938 was a watershed moment for Monument Valley, but Ford wasn't the first director to film there. The movie that's usually cited as the first to showcase the valley is "The Vanishing American."

 

"The Vanishing American": Monument Valley in sepia tone

A silent Western directed by George B. Seitz, "The Vanishing American" includes shots taken in some of the same locations later filmed by John Ford.

 

"The Vanishing American": Yei Bi Chei and the Totem Pole

Ford may have even taken inspiration from "The Vanishing American" when he scouted his backgrounds. His use of the Totem Pole and Yei Bi Chei in "The Searchers" echoes this shot from the silent Western.

 

"The Man From Laramie" (1955): James Stewart takes a shot at Monument Valley

Once Ford elevated the profile of Monument Valley, it became standard operating procedure for anyone making a big-budget Western to try to work at least a few of the valley's picturesque buttes into the movie.

 

"Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968)

Foreign filmmakers soon got on board too. Italian director Sergio Leone, master of the spaghetti Western, made good use of the Monument Valley area in his classic "Once Upon a Time in the West."

 

Promo still for "Once Upon a Time in the West," depicting a hanging

Now, I hope you're sitting down, because this next item could cause fainting spells. I know I had a hard time keeping my balance when I first found this. It begins with an unsettling hanging that takes place in the movie.

 

Behind the scenes: Sergio Leone and his crew film a hanging

A man is hanged from a brick arch, and this unusual set piece, the arch, wound up being featured in promotional materials for the movie, including lobby cards, posters and even behind-the-scenes photos.

 

"Once Upon a Time in the West": The disturbing hanging sequence

The hanging was filmed in southern Utah, a short distance north of Monument Valley, and a number of the valley's most recognizable buttes can be spotted in the background in some of the movie shots.

 

German lobby card for "Once Upon a Time in the West"

The location where the sequence was filmed has been known to fans of the movie for some time, and the hanging arch remains one of the enduring images of a movie many fans place right at the top of the list of great Westerns.

 

Remnants of the hanging arch (January 2023)

Here's the part that might trigger some swooning: In what has to be considered a movie location miracle, the brick foundations of that arch are still sitting there in the southern Utah desert!

 

Monument Valley buttes — witnesses to the execution

The two sturdy brick structures that once supported the hanging arch remain in place just west of Highway 163. In this shot I've identified a few of the buttes that are also visible in the hanging sequence.

 

If you can find this old Navajo jewelry store, take a left here

The location is findable, but do your homework because it involves dirt roads and your adventure could easily go sideways. The best turnoff is 15.2 miles north of the Arizona border on Highway 163, next to a dilapidated Navajo jewelry store. It's one of about 6,000 similar ones in the area, so make sure you have the right one.

 

The adventure begins when you turn onto Old Airport Road

You'll be starting off on Old Airport Road, and will eventually want to take a right on Landing Strip — especially if you come to a T-intersection. But don't expect to see any street signs out there, and you may not want to take the Prius that day as it helps to have something with a little more ground clearance.

 

You know what you can do with all that global-positioning hoo-hah ...

The turnoff is also 2.1 miles north of Forrest Gump Point, which we will discuss below. If you're into this sort of thing — and rest assured, Tony Soprano was NOT — here are the GPS coordinates for the turnoff (37.116939, -109.957049), and the coordinates for the actual location of the brick remnants (37.128945, -109.973684).

 

The "7-minute drive" from the highway to the arch site, if you trust Google Maps (not advised)

The sojourn from Highway 163 to the hanging arch ruins should be about 1.7 miles, if you're lucky enough to find the most direct route. But you may want to take the long way around to avoid the downtown traffic.

 

"The Eiger Sanction" (1975): Clint Eastwood hangs around Yei Bi Chei and the Totem Pole

Not that Monument Valley is exclusively about Westerns. Clint Eastwood left his cowboy hat at home when he directed, starred in and reportedly did his own stunts for the action flick "The Eiger Sanction."

 

"The Eiger Sanction": Clint Eastwood and George Kennedy on top of the Totem Pole

An unusual sequence was filmed (mostly by helicopter) at the top of the Totem Pole, where Eastwood and co-star George Kennedy both appeared.

 

Behind the scenes: Eastwood, Kennedy and climbers aboard the Totem Pole

It has been reported that Eastwood made the climb up the Totem Pole himself, while Kennedy was dropped off at the summit by helicopter.

 

Two climbers, an actor and a climber-actor on a ridiculously terrifying movie shoot

These behind-the-scenes shots appear to be taken after Eastwood and two other climbers arrived at the summit, and after Kennedy was dropped off along with an ice chest and other supplies.

 

Eastwood, on the right, smiles for the camera while Kennedy considers throwing up

George Kennedy appears to be cowering in sheer terror — the same reaction any normal person would have.

 

Wait, what?!!? You brought a sixer up here?

Speaking of that ice chest (spoiler alert), while they're sitting on top of the Totem Pole, Kennedy's character reveals that he tricked Eastwood into carrying a six-pack of beer to the top of the landmark.

 

Clint gripes about his warm Olympia

However, there's no ice chest in the movie scene, for obvious reasons, and Eastwood's character complains that his beer is warm — even while Olympia gets a memorable product placement.

 

The actors drink to avoiding death — so far

Despite the lack of refrigeration, Eastwood and Kennedy manage to throw back some of the precious brew while also trying to avoid the "fast way down." I'm not convinced their characters would have benefited from consuming a whole six-pack before making the perilous descent back to ground level.

 

"Mission: Impossible II" (2000): Tom Cruise gets vertical in Utah

Tom Cruise managed to work his way up into some serious buttes too, in 1999 when he was making action master John Woo's "Mission: Impossible II." This footage was filmed some distance north of Monument Valley, at Utah's Dead Horse Point State Park, but there's a Monument Valley connection.

 

Metallica in Monument Valley for "I Disappear"

The "Mission Impossible II" soundtrack includes Metallica's "I Disappear," and when it came time to do the video, including splicing in shots from "M:I 2," footage of the band was shot in Monument Valley.

 

Metallica's "I Disappear": Click on the image to watch the video

Here's the video for "I Disappear," shot largely in Monument Valley, with additional location footage from the movie also featured. Click on the image above to see the video — I'd turn off the sound, though.

 

"National Lampoon's Vacation" (1983): Chevy Chase zigs when he should've zagged

The landscape in Monument Valley doesn't exactly scream "comedy," but "National Lampoon's Vacation" managed to squeeze a few laughs out of the location in the early '80s.

 

"National Lampoon's Vacation": Buttes galore

Some of the valley's buttes even made it into stylized posters for the hit comedy. There's a lot going on here, but you may recognize a few landmarks in the background.

 

"Bonjour les Vacances..." in France

The French version of the poster has a different title but all the same landmarks. Just as it did in the era of the Great American Western, Monument Valley continues to shape the global image of America.

 

The German title translates to "The Shrill Four on the Move"

A German poster for the movie offers a different take on the buttes of the American West — along with another title change. Is it just me, or did the Germans come up with a way better title?

 

"Back to the Future Part III" (1990): Monument Valley gets its own drive-in

When director Robert Zemeckis brought his mega-hit time travel franchise "Back to the Future" to Monument Valley in 1989, he turned a section of the valley floor into the Pohatchee Drive-In Theatre.

 

Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) plan a trip back in time

The kitschy, faux-deco Native American-themed outdoor movie palace, filled with sly gags and inside jokes, was supposed to represent California in 1955, but Zemeckis had his reasons for placing it in Monument Valley.

 

The DeLorean backs up near the exit to max out its running room

Some of the gags might not fly today, but again, it's 1955 in the movie, and the vibe of the Pohatchee is well-suited to both the period and Monument Valley — even though in the movie the theater is located in Hill Valley, Calif.

 

Outside the snack bar, the DeLorean is primed for a run to the Old West

In a way the drive-in is a metaphor for Monument Valley's enduring connection with Hollywood, and in particular with the Western, which has been central to the region's mystique since John Ford first filmed here.

 

Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, not quite properly dressed for his Wild West adventure

Suited up in a garish Western outfit that would make even a bad B-movie cowboy cringe, Marty braces for what should turn out to be a hair-raising trip back to 1885 and the Real West.

 

It dawns on Marty that the world doesn't know about Clint Eastwood yet

The drive-in sequence, like much of the "Back to the Future" series, is loaded with "Easter eggs," including references to future cowboy hero Clint Eastwood in the movie ads.

 

A couple of carefully chosen movie posters from 1955

A still unknown (in 1955) Eastwood had uncredited bit parts in both "Revenge of the Creature" and "Tarantula," two coming attractions featured in posters on display outside the snack bar.

 

"Revenge of the Creature" (1955): Clint Eastwood's first movie role

Eastwood was just 24 when he appeared as lab technician Jennings in "Revenge of the Creature," a sequel to "Creature From the Black Lagoon."

 

"Tarantula" (1955): Eastwood, now 25, plays a jet squadron leader

Though still uncredited a few months later when he worked on "Tarantula," Eastwood graduated to what might be considered a cooler role as a jet squadron leader.

 

What better place for a confrontation between a war party and ... a DeLorean?

The main reason Zemeckis set his drive-in theater in Monument Valley was to immediately evoke images of the Wild West once the DeLorean time machine landed in 1885. (Thank you, John Ford.)

 

Pohatchee Drive-In Theatre T-shirts

One thing Zemeckis probably never saw coming was that his drive-in would become a cottage industry. A perplexing array of Pohatchee merchandise has made it to market in the years since the set was torn down.

 

Pohatchee bumper sticker

If the T-shirt isn't enough of a commitment for you, you can go the bumper sticker route.

 

Alternate bumper sticker

I'm not sure this bumper sticker variation is really about safe driving, but I suppose it makes a statement.

 

Scale model of the Pohatchee Drive-In Theater

Someone even marketed a scale model of the Pohatchee Drive-In, at a higher price point than most of us would probably be willing to pay.

 

The must-have Pohatchee metal plate

Then there's this thing: a metal plate featuring the Pohatchee Drive-In. I have no idea what it's for, but I hope I don't find one next time I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with my water heater.

 

The Pohatchee Drive-In Theatre: Where is it?

But let's finally get to the part of this that matters (if "matters" is the right word), which would be finding the location. It turns out the Pohatchee set was built right in the middle of many of Monument Valley's most famous landmarks.

 

The same features today, to the north of the Pohatchee Drive-In Theatre

We can pretty easily match up the rock formations to the north of the drive-in. This 3D view from Google Maps includes all of the features seen in the movie shot above.

 

Some of the rock features are hidden behind the movie screen

The theater's movie screen was positioned at the north end of the drive-in, blocking out some of the landmarks.

 

These features are all visible in the drive-in shot from the movie

We can still see all of these features in the movie. Zemeckis hit a home run with his choice of locations.

 

Features north of the drive-in, in the movie shot

Here are the same features as they appeared in the movie, looking north from the drive-in.

 

1885, looking south from the future Pohatchee location, in "Back to the Future Part III"

After Marty drives the DeLorean back to 1885, the drive-in disappears in time and we get a look at the Monument Valley features to the south of the same location.

 

Artist's Point is approximately southeast of the drive-in location

A number of mesas and buttes can be seen, with Artist's Point probably the best-known feature in the shot.

 

Artist's Point in a 2023 Google 3D view

Here again we can use Google Maps to confirm the location.

 

This is the spot where Zemeckis built the Pohatchee Drive-In

Pulling back for a wider view, something unexpected comes into the shot. Notice the oval area where the terrain looks slightly more manicured than the surrounding desert. This is the Pohatchee Drive-In location.

 

The drive-in was situated a short distance southeast of Merrick Butte

Here's what the Pohatchee Drive-In Theatre location looks like on a normally oriented aerial map, with north on top. GPS coordinates for the location are 36.973626, -110.075840.

 

Sending Marty McFly back to 1885 — click on the image to watch the video

If you still haven't met all your Pohatchee needs, you can click on the above image to watch a fun two-minute clip of the drive-in theater sequence from "Back to the Future Part III," filmed in Monument Valley.

 

"Forrest Gump" (Paramount, 1994): Tom Hanks arrives at what will
soon become known as "Forrest Gump Point"

Recent decades have seen a steady stream of both Westerns and non-Westerns film in Monument Valley. A few years after "Back to the Future Part III," Robert Zemeckis returned with his Oscar juggernaut "Forrest Gump."

 

The same view today — looking southwest from Forrest Gump Point

The location where Tom Hanks' character ends his cross-country run, near the Mile 13 marker along Highway 163 in southern Utah, provides a wide vista of a number of major buttes.

 

Forrest Gump Point in 2021

"Forrest Gump Point," as it's known today, has become one of the region's most popular tourist attractions, and I don't think it's because of the fancy sign.

 

Forrest Gump Point in 2022

The view from Forrest Gump Point can be spectacular, depending in part on what the sky decides to do at just the right moment.

 

Key buttes to the southwest of Forrest Gump Point

Here are the IDs for some of the buttes visible from Forrest Gump Point. No judgment.

 

"Pontiac Moon" (Paramount, 1994): Those same buttes

Ever since "Forrest Gump," other filmmakers have made a point of shooting in that same area. A few months after Paramount's "Forrest Gump" shoot, the same studio ran a similar shot on a poster for "Pontiac Moon."

 

"Pontiac Moon": Hey, where'd you find the swell cafe?

This shot, also from "Pontiac Moon," shows the same buttes in what appears to be a more realistic alignment. I have a feeling they separated them digitally for the movie poster.

 

Poster for the 2016 indie drama "Monumental"

Contemporary filmmakers probably wouldn't mind if some of Forrest Gump Point's Oscar juju rubbed off on them. It sure worked for "Forrest Gump," which won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and three other Oscars.

 

"Vanishing Point" (Fox TV remake, 1997)

The car chase movie "Vanishing Point" captures the same buttes seen from Forrest Gump Point, but from the other side. Unless my high school geometry fails me, that means this shot is probably taken looking northeast.

 

In case you missed it

Sure enough, it's "Brigham's Tomb" again, showing its southwest profile this time. I don't know how Brigham lucked out and got that thing named after him, but I doubt the Navajo were consulted.

 

"Wild Wild West" (1999): Riding off into the sunset on a steampunk spider

About now you're probably thinking, "Yeah, but what about steampunk in Monument Valley?" Well, never fear! Director Barry Sonnenfeld took care of that little piece of business with his 1999 feature "Wild Wild West."

 

"Wild Wild West" (1999): Breaking down the spider gif

Even though all of the features look like Monument Valley, nothing is in the right place. I believe they used Monument Valley as the starting point, but mainly created this shot using computer graphics.

 

"Going! Going! Gosh!" (Road Runner cartoon, 1952)

Sonnenfeld wasn't the first filmmaker to generate a fake backdrop based on Monument Valley. Animators had been doing something similar for decades.

 

"Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z" (1956)

Almost the entire "Road Runner" universe appears to be patterned after Monument Valley.

 

"Wild and Woolfy" (Droopy cartoon, 1945)

And it didn't start with the Road Runner. Animation legend Tex Avery was putting Monument Valley-inspired backgrounds in his "Droopy" cartoons by the mid-1940s.

 

"Wild and Woolfy": Red and the Wolf

Avery may be best known for his sexy nightclub singer "Red," and for the Wolf, who routinely has his eyes pop out of his head and other body parts fall apart at the sight of Red..

 

"Wild and Woolfy": Droopy carries a reluctant Red past a Mitten

Click on the image above to watch a two-minute version of Avery's "Wild and Woolfy" featuring a number of Monument Valley-inspired buttes.

 

"Wild Wild West" (1999): Kevin Kline, Frederique Van Der Wal and at least one Mitten

Getting back to Sonnenfeld's "Wild Wild West," even if the special effects-heavy movie took a few liberties with its depiction of Monument Valley, it did film on location in the valley.

 

"Wild Wild West": Artist's Point ... "-ish"

But Sonnenfeld reached repeatedly into his bag of movie tricks. This shot has some kind of aerial contraption arriving at Artist's Point against a full moon. But wait a minute, what's wrong with this picture?

 

Artist's Point as it appears today

If you go to Artist's Point today, this is what it looks like. Either it's backward, or the movie is. And no, the shot isn't taken on the other side of the rock, which looks a lot different.

 

Corrected version of the movie shot

Needless to say, it's the movie shot that's wrong. Even though the butte comes in from the left in the movie, we can flip the shot to its correct orientation and see that the butte came in from the right when they shot it.

 

Will Smith as Special Agent James West: West Mitten and Merrick Butte

I should mention that almost everyone thinks the "Wild Wild West" remake stinks, and that it's considered the low point in Will Smith's career.

 

Will Smith and Chris Rock try out some improv on Oscar night 2022

Or at least it was ... until "the greatest night in television," as Chris Rock put it at the 2022 Oscars.

 

"The Ballad of Buster Scruggs": The Coen brothers' offbeat 2018 Western

In the decades since John Ford filmed in Monument Valley, the location has attracted a head-spinning variety of productions, from indie films to Hollywood blockbusters, from quirky Westerns to normal Westerns to non-Westerns, and from both U.S. and international filmmakers.

 

"Transformers: Age of Extinction" (2014)

Paramount's "Transformers" series is just one of the major film franchises of the 21st century to spend time on location in the valley.

 

Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West": Claudia Cardinale near Artist's Point

Since Sergio Leone broke the ice in the 1960s, Monument Valley has been a "must shoot" location for a steady stream of international productions.

 

"A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe" (Italy, 1975): Miou-Miou, deep in thought

Fellow Italian director Damiano Damiani was among the first to follow Leone's lead, bringing his Western comedy "A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe" to the valley in 1975.

 

Terence Hill, Robert Charlebois and Miou-Miou near Three Sisters

The movie is not well-known in the U.S., but it filmed extensively in Monument Valley.

 

Poster for "A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe"

Posters for the movie used artist's renderings of the Mittens and other Monument Valley features to let Italian audiences know they could expect to see the scenery of the American West.

 

Lobby card for the Italian and French production "2019: After the Fall of New York"

The Mittens turned up again — the real ones this time — in promotional material for the 1983 Italian and French action/sci-fi movie "2019: After the Fall of New York."

 

"Building Bridges" (2019): Balloons over Monument Valley

In the modern era, Monument Valley has seen a trend toward "outside-the-box" representations of its landmarks on screen. The German short "Building Bridges," for example, chronicles a balloon expedition above Monument Valley, presented as a metaphor for international relations.

 

"Building Bridges": A balloon's-eye view of Monument Valley

The movie features breathtaking images of the valley taken from above the clouds.

 

Two balloons meet at sunrise

"Building Bridges" focuses on a daring collaboration involving two balloons, decked out in the colors of Germany and the United States.

 

Crossing the bridge — no strings attached

Here we see the silhouette of a tightrope walker, untethered, attempting to make a crossing between the two balloons.

 

Niklas Winter concentrates on the mission

The man at the middle of the challenge is German slackline walker Niklas Winter. Should he happen to slip, he will be counting on the parachute on his back to save his life. I imagine right about now some of you are thinking, "Oh, he has a parachute — geez, even I could do that!"

 

Monument Valley's rocky buttes take to the sky

A poster for the movie features renderings of Monument Valley landmarks such as the Mittens and Merrick Butte as outcroppings sitting on top of hot-air balloons.

 

"Building Bridges": Click above to watch the video

If you'd like to see the "Building Bridges" video, click on the image above to watch it on YouTube. The clip runs less than 5 minutes.

 

"Cosmic Voyage" (1996): Rock climbers reach the heights

The 1996 documentary "Cosmic Voyage," overseen by the National Air and Space Museum and filmed in the IMAX format, focuses on astronomy but includes rock-climbing footage from Monument Valley.

 

I see it as a summit meeting, even though "summit" also means "highest point"

This shot gives us what may be our best look at that pinnacle with the funny name "Bear and Rabbit Summit," which we've seen a few times already. I can see the rabbit, but I'm not so sure about the bear.

 

Bear and Rabbit Summit, part of the Stagecoach formation

Bear and Rabbit Summit is part of this larger formation, which we've also been seeing a lot of. This formation has various names depending on who you ask, but all or part of it is also known as "Stagecoach."

 

The Milky Way rises above Monument Valley's "Thumb" (photo by Dale Boan)

Monument Valley's connection to astronomy, as suggested by "Cosmic Voyage," is no accident. The valley is one of the best places on the planet to take in the beauty of the sky above — especially the Milky Way.

 

The Milky Way above Monument Valley (photo by Tom Masterson, 2017)

In the right conditions, photos of the Milky Way above the valley can be so spectacular that it's hard to believe they're real. This one, posted by NASA, is definitely the real deal.

 

NASA's annotated version of the Tom Masterson photo

NASA also posted an annotated version of the photo, to help some of us land-lubbers get a better handle on what's going on in the sky above us.

 

"The Searchers" (1956): The Thumb

That photo of the Milky Way above the Thumb reminded me that John Ford included this shot of the Thumb in "The Searchers." You may recognize Ward Bond, second from right, and Ken Curtis on the right.

 

The Thumb as it appears in modern times

A recent shot of the Thumb shows that it hasn't changed much since "The Searchers" filmed here — although the lighting in this shot accentuates the feature's red clay roots.

 

A 3D view of Monument Valley looking north

The Thumb can be seen at bottom right in this recent bird's-eye view of a wide swath of Monument Valley, taken looking north. The nearest formation to the Thumb is known as Camel Butte.

 

Key Monument Valley features identified

I added labels to the shot to help work out the positions of the various rock formations — many of which have been featured in this post. You may want to click on the photo to enlarge it.

 

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon": Here comes trouble

Just about everything in that wide shot of the valley appears somewhere in a John Ford movie — and usually in more than one. In a sense, Ford's work can be seen as a tourism guide to the region.

 

Big Indian and Setting Hen, in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"

For example, the shot from "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" includes not only "Big Indian" but also "Setting Hen" farther north. Both features are on the Utah side of the border, and the shot is taken looking approximately north.

 

"My Darling Clementine" (1946): Henry Fonda relaxes in Tombstone

Big Indian had appeared previously in "My Darling Clementine." In this promo still for the movie we see Henry Fonda, as Wyatt Earp, on the set for the town of Tombstone, built to the west of Big Indian.

 

Landmarks to the east of Tombstone

The background features in this shot are all located east of the Tombstone site. However, pinpointing the location where Ford built his set for Tombstone is no simple matter.

 

"My Darling Clementine": Tombstone's mayor (Roy Roberts) comes a-callin'

We do have this shot looking more or less in the opposite direction, which is a big help. At this end of town the background consists mainly of a mesa situated southwest of the Tombstone site.

 

An important landmark to the southwest of the Tombstone set

Rock Door Mesa provides a bookend at the far end of the Tombstone set. Today this huge landmark is situated near what might be described as the "commercial hub" of Monument Valley.

 

Rock Door Mesa in modern times — "downtown" Monument Valley

This shot matching the "My Darling Clementine" background is taken looking approximately southwest down Highway 163, toward the Arizona-Utah border. A number of buildings now stand in the area.

 

The Goulding name lives on in Monument Valley

Another thing you'll see along this stretch of road is signs for various "Goulding's" businesses — lodge, restaurant, RV park, museum ... you name it. The region's "commercial district" is part of the legacy laid down starting back in the '20s by Harry Goulding — the same guy who convinced John Ford to come check out Monument Valley.

 

This way to all the conveniences you tried to leave behind

If you're camping in Monument Valley and you need ice, there's a good chance you'll be buying it from a business with "Goulding's" in the name. Don't bother with the car wash, though — you'll just be getting it dirty again.

 

Approximate location of the Tombstone set from "My Darling Clementine"

I doubt that anything remains today of the Tombstone set from 1946, but if it did, it would be somewhere in this area, just off Highway 163 — probably not far from the KOA Journey campground.

 

"The Searchers": John Wayne and Walter Coy framed by two buttes

This shot from John Ford's "The Searchers" features two prominent Monument Valley landmarks: Gray Whiskers, on the left, and Mitchell Butte on the right.

 

Gray Whiskers and Mitchell Butte in modern times

Here's a recent shot of those same two buttes, looking south across Highway 163. The photo isn't an exact match for the movie angle, but it's in the ballpark. In this shot Agathla Peak is also visible toward the left.

 

Mitchell Butte, near the Navajo Nation Monument (2023)

Today Mitchell Butte is a part of the same neighborhood as the Navajo Nation Monument, along Monument Valley Road. This photo was taken in January 2023.

 

Mitchell Butte in "My Darling Clementine" (1946)

Mitchell Butte can be seen from that same angle in the John Ford movie "My Darling Clementine."

 

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon": John Wayne and Frank McGrath

Another favorite John Ford location can be seen in this promo still for "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon." The shot is taken looking east, and in the distance we can see Bear and Rabbit Summit near the center of the frame.

 

The same location in modern times: Looking east through "the Gap"

I believe this location is known today as "the Gap." From this angle we can see Big Indian and Sentinel Mesa in the distance.

 

Comparing the two angles

The movie angle and the recent angle are not an exact match, but pretty close. Notice the highlighted section of Big Indian — we can call it the "southern slope."

 

Big Indian, partially visible in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"

The same section of Big Indian is also visible in the shot from "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon," although much of the formation is hidden behind Frank McGrath.

 

Frank McGrath as Charlie Wooster on "Wagon Train"

You may remember Frank McGrath as Charlie Wooster, the gruff but lovable cook on the long-running TV Western "Wagon Train." McGrath was on the show for its entire run, from 1957-1965.

 

"She Wore a Yellow Ribbon": Turning the camera more toward the south

While Ford was shooting in the vicinity of the Gap for "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon," he also filmed this angle highlighting more of the butte running along the southern edge of the Gap.

 

The same butte in recent years

Here's a more recent shot of the same butte, taken not far from where Ford filmed. As usual, not much has changed — other than the sky and the lighting, both of which were better in Ford's movie.

 

"The Searchers" (1956): Another look east through the Gap

John Ford returned to the Gap a few years after "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon," once again shooting eastward, this time for "The Searchers."

 

The "Searchers" location in modern times: Goulding's Resort RV Park

Ford's filming location is not hard to find. Today it's right around the Goulding's RV Park.

 

"The Searchers": Souls are laid to rest in the shadow of Sentinel Mesa

We could keep going with "then and now" photos showcasing John Ford's great Monument Valley work, but it's your turn. I recommend getting out there yourself if you can, to see about matching up some of your own favorite movie shots or just to soak up the incredible scenery.

 

Sentinel Mesa as it can still be seen today

Early fall is a great time to go — start planning your trip now, and we'll meet you at Sentinel Mesa!