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Making Movies in Moab
For years filmmakers have chosen Moab and southeast Utah as a location site for commercials, music videos and movies.
It started in 1949 with Wagon Master, followed by Rio Grande in 1950 with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. Remember the famous scene in Thelma and Louise going off the cliff? That was shot near Dead Horse Point. Scenes from Mission Impossible II starring Tom Cruise were also shot on location at Dead Horse Point. Arches National Park was a location for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade starring Harrison Ford.
The Oscar-nominated movie 127 Hours, starring James Franco as hiker Aron Ralston trapped in an isolated Utah canyon, was filmed in the surrounding areas of Moab and in the exact location Aron was trapped. Moab Cliffs and Canyons, 877-641-5271, (435) 259-3317, www.cliffsandcanyons.com, a local rock climbing company, was hired to provide safety, perform stunts and teach actors to rappel. Local companies are hired for their expertise and knowledge of the area.
You can see highlights from film projects that have taken advantage of the scenery surrounding Moab by visiting the Film Museum at Red Cliffs Ranch. The museum houses memorabilia from the early films to the present and is ever changing. The museum at Red Cliffs Ranch is free, self-guided and open daily to the public. Red Cliffs Lodge, 866-812-2002, (435) 259-2002, www.redcliffslodge.com.
