Occasionally a batch of Disneyland slides will yield a few extras from different areas. In this particular situation, the images looked like they could be from Calico…or Pioneertown…or maybe some old movie studio set. Checking with expert Ken from Stack’s Liberty Ranch, I learned that they were from Old Tucson. From the Old Tucson website:
Built in 1939, Old Tucson is a renowned film set and family theme park located just outside Tucson, AZ. Nestled between Saguaro National Park and Tucson Mountain Park, this beautiful desert setting has been the filming location of hundreds of classic western films and TV shows featuring stars such as John Wayne, James Stewart, Paul Newman, Jean Arthur, Frank Sinatra, Clint Eastwood, and Ronald Reagan. The studio opened its doors as a theme park in 1960 and continues to welcome guests for a variety of immersive experiences, special events, and tours.
One of the most famous movies to use this location is the 1986 comedy “The Three Amigos,” with Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Chevy Chase.
An April 1976 entrance shot:
Zooming in you can see the poster for the 1972 Paul Newman western/comedy, “The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean”:
The poster art was by Richard Amsel, best known (to me at least) for his incredible TV Guide covers (thirty-seven total!).
Back to Old Tucson! An undated shot of the main street:
So popular they even had their very own red pickup truck!
Plenty of saloons in town. First we have Ward’s, from February 1959:
…and the Railroad Saloon, circa June 1972:
Looks like there’s another place to go to on my travel checklist!
See more Old Tucson photos at my main website.
I have a few shots myself circa 1974 from Old Tucscon, family trip, etc. Mine aren't anywhere as good as these, but I certainly recognize some places from the backgrounds of my pics. ( Ward's ) They did old west shootouts in the streets back then. Nowadays western theme parks don't do that, you'd have to go to Spring Valley if you want a shootout in the middle of a street.
ReplyDeleteFaint memories of a visit in the early/mid 60s. All I really remember was a full-sized train that looped around open desert, plus a jail occupied by a life-size wooden dummy. The dummy's mouth moved, and somewhere out of sight a guy worked it and heckled visitors ("Hey thar! You kids orta be 'n school!").
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