Western Colorado & Eastern Utah Movie Shoots

Did you know some of your favorite movies from the 1950s and '60s were filmed in Western Colorado and Eastern Utah? Grand Junction Daily Sentinel photographer Bob Grant had a chance to shoot a few photos from these movie sets.

Photos in the gallery below come from a handful of movies of the 1950s. Among them would be the John Wayne movie "The Comancheros," Warlock," and the Disney movie "Ten Who Dared."

To be blunt, I'm not really a fan of Western movies and am not familiar with any of these. In addition, all were filmed 10 to 11 years before I was born. But, if you're a Western fan, I can't help but think you'll recognize each of these films. If you're a Western Colorado or Eastern Utah native, chances are you recognize the scenery.

ON SCENE: Movies Filmed in Western Colorado and Eastern Utah

Here's a quick rundown on each of the three movies featured:

The Comancheros

Wow! This movie scored a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's a 1961 Western Deluxe CinemaScope color film directed by Michael Curtiz, based on a 1952 novel of the same name by Paul Wellman. The movie starred John Wayne and Stuart Whitman. Supporting actors include Ina Balin, Lee Marvin, Nehemiah Persoff, Bruce Cabot, Jack Elam, Patrick Wayne, and Edgar Buchanan, Bob Steele, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, and Harry Carey, Jr.

The movie was filmed on location all over Utah, including Professor Valley, Dead Horse Point, King's Bottom, La Sal Mountains, Fisher Valley, Onion Creek, Hurrah Pass, and Haver Ranch.

Warlock

There have been several movies made by this name. In this case, Warlock refers to the 1959 film starring Richard Widmark and Henry Fonda.

Filming location included Dead Horse Point State Park, Professor Valley, Arches National Park, Moab, and White's Ranch, at mile marker 14 off of Highway 128 in Utah.

Ten Who Dared

This 1960 Walt Disney film, directed by William Beaudine, starred Brian Keith, Ben Johnson, and John Beal.

According to Wikipedia, some scenes were filmed at the Big Bend of the Colorado River, Professor Valley, Arches, Dead Horse Point, Dewey, Castle Valley, and Westwater Canyon.

How many of these places have you visited? Chances are you've been to several of the locations listed above. The next time I'm in Westwater Canyon, I plan to take a look around and see if I recognize any of these locations.