The second film in the "cavalry trilogy," 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon' saw Monument Valley burst into vivid Technicolor after Ford opted to shoot in color. Starring John Wayne, the film's cinematographer, Winton C. Hoch, took home the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Color in 1950 for his efforts.

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'Rio Grande' (1950) -

Concluding Ford's trilogy was 'Rio Grande,' with John Wayne again playing the lead. Much of the film was in fact shot in and around Moab, Utah, about 244 km (152 mi) north of Monument Valley. Pictured on location is Ben Johnson, Maureen O'Hara, Claude Jarman Jr., and Harry Carey Jr.

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'Wagon Master' (1950) -

Monument Valley provided a suitably historic backdrop for John Ford's 'Wagon Master,' the story of which follows a Mormon pioneer wagon train to the San Juan River in Utah. Ben Johnson and Ward Bond star.

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'The Searchers' (1956) -

Shot in color, 'The Searchers' is considered John Ford's masterpiece and one of the greatest Westerns ever made. The movie stars John Wayne, Jeffery Hunter, and Natalie Wood. On this occasion, Monument Valley even made it onto the poster art.

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'Sergeant Rutledge' (1960) -

Noted for giving Woody Strode, an African-American actor, a starring role and for tackling the thorny issue of racism, 'Sergeant Rutledge' again took audiences into the vast arid Monument Valley landscape. John Ford was once again the man in the director's chair.

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'How the West Was Won' (1962) -

An epic Western 164 minutes in length, 'How the West Was Won' was directed by Henry Hathaway, John Ford, and George Marshall, and originally filmed in true three-lens Cinerama with the according three-panel panorama projected onto an enormous curved screen. The mammoth production was partly filmed in Monument Valley, the super wide screen ratio doing justice to the by-now legendary location.

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'Cheyenne Autumn' (1964) -

Monument Valley remained a preferred location for Western filmmakers throughout the 1960s. In 1964, John Ford returned to the setting to shoot 'Cheyenne Autumn,' the last Western he directed. He later described the picture as an elegy for Native Americans and the mistreatment they suffered from the government, the military, and by the media—and misrepresented by many of his own films.

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'Once Upon a Time in the West' (1968) -

In 1968, Italian director Sergio Leone chose to shoot two scenes of his epic Western saga 'Once Upon a Time in the West'—which was mostly filmed in Spain and Italy—in Monument Valley. Claudia Cardinale (pictured), Charles Bronson, and Jason Robards were among the actors involved in these segments of the movie.

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'2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968) -

Stanley Kubrick turned Monument Valley into a surreal alien landscape for a memorable sequence in '2001: A Space Odyssey' as Keir Dullea's character travels through a stargate.

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'Mackenna's Gold' (1969) -

By the end of the 1960s the Western genre was falling out of favor with cinema audiences. 'Mackenna's Gold' made use of Monument Valley, among other locations, but was not well received. Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif, and Telly Savalas star.

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'Easy Rider' (1969) -

As the '60s ended, horsepower of a different kind roared through Monument Valley. Opening scenes of Dennis Hopper's cult movie 'Easy Rider' include the location.

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'Wild Rovers' (1971) -

Another Western filmed at Monument Valley and which also disappointed was 'Wild Rovers,' starring William Holden and Ryan O'Neal. Fortunately the location remained as dramatic and inspiring as ever.

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'The Eiger Sanction' (1975) -

One filmmaker who took working in Monument Valley to new heights was Clint Eastwood. In 'The Eiger Sanction,' Eastwood's character has to get in shape for an attempt on the Eiger mountain in Switzerland. To do so, he climbs the iconic Totem Pole spire with a buddy. Eastwood did all his own stunts, and the scene where both men hit the pillar's summit is simply breathtaking.

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'National Lampoon's Vacation' (1983) -

The valley had it coming, and the landscape provided one of the locations for 'National Lampoon's Vacation.' The oddball road comedy was a big hit.

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'Over the Top' (1987) -

Long-haul truck driver Lincoln Hawk (Sylvester Stallone) steers his rig through Monument Valley on his way to an arm-wrestling bout. But his real battle is winning the trust of his alienated son.

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'Back to the Future III' (1990) -

The third and final installment of the zany science fiction trilogy saw Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and Emmett "Doc" Brown (Christopher Lloyd) travel back to 1885 and the Wild West of California and Arizona, where an epic four-wheel and four-legged showdown takes place in Monument Valley.

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'Thelma & Louise' (1991) -

This female buddy road crime drama takes place almost entirely in the states of California and Utah. Monument Valley is included as a location, and is where this photograph of director Ridley Scott seen chatting with Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon between takes was snapped.

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'Forrest Gump' (1994) -

A handmade sign along a road leading into Monument Valley states that "Forrest Gump ended his cross-country run at this spot." A scene from the 1994 movie was filmed on the road to the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in southeastern Utah.

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'Lightning Jack' (1994) -

While the Western comedy 'Lightning Jack' shot itself in the foot with negative reviews and poor box-office returns, the dramatic Moab and Monument Valley scenery was right on target.

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'Mission: Impossible 2' (2000) -

Tom Cruise really is free solo climbing at Dead Horse Point State Park in Moab, Utah, doing his own stunts for the opening scenes of 'Mission: Impossible 2.' The park lies about 296 km (184 mi) north of Monument Valley, which on clear days can be seen on the horizon.

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'Cars' (2006) -

A commercial success, 'Cars' motors along Route 66 and through a spoof destination called "Ornament Valley." That's a good enough reason for this computer-animated sports comedy to be included on this list.

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'The Lone Ranger' (2013) -

Not even the breathtaking Monument Valley backdrop and a scene where the Lone Ranger (Armie Hammer) and Tonto (Johnny Depp) pause on horseback at the famous John Ford vantage point (pictured) could save this film becoming one of the biggest box-office bombs of all time.

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'A Million Ways to Die in the West' (2014) -

The familiar West Mitten Butte, East Mitten Butte, and Merrick Butte, the huge rock formations that characterize the Monument Valley landscape, are featured in the publicity posters for 'A Million Ways to Die in the West.' Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, and Liam Neeson are among the cast.

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'Transformers: Age of Extinction' (2014) -

The scene in which the surviving Autobots reunite was shot in Monument Valley.

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'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' (2018) -

The Coen Brothers made their comic Western anthology film in various locations, where cheerful singing cowboy Buster Scruggs performs in states as far removed as Nebraska, New Mexico, and Colorado.

Sources: (DesertUSA) (F for Films) (Variety)

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Movies made in Monument Valley

One of the most iconic filming locations in the world

10/12/21 | StarsInsider

MOVIES Film

Monument Valley in the United States is one of the most recognized natural wonders in the world. A vast landscape of colossal sandstone formations straddling the Utah-Arizona state line, the valley has featured in numerous films since the 1920s, many of them Westerns associated with legendary director John Ford. The location has served as an iconic backdrop for other film genres too, anything from comedies and thrillers to action adventures and even science fiction.

Click through and visit the movies made in Monument Valley.