“People can't believe how we live out here on the land, and under the stars. Maybe it's just the freedom of it. Once you get that red dirt in your blood and your socks, you can't get rid of either one of them. It just stays with you, and you’re going to find that out if you stick around very long.”

• Norris Church, Kanab

The Western is as finely layered as the red rock deserts and dusty towns that serve as their backdrop. Ever since they first appeared on the silver screen, Westerns have been rife with opposing viewpoints, contradictions and complexities as varied as the people who watched them. 

Gunslingers, shoot outs, declarations of love and revenge – the heroes and villains of Western movies have come to define the American psyche in ways that no other genre ever has.

This is the first of our insight episodes, audio documentaries that dive deep into the subjects that make places come alive: from anthropology and history to music, art and more. But today, we’re going to the movies.

Utah celebrates 100-years of movie magic this year. It has served as the backdrop for everything from alien planets to Jurassic worlds. But it’s most famous for the Westerns that were shot here. It’s easy to see why they were. Walk amongst the high buttes and slot canyons of Utah, and it’s hard not to feel like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid might jump out at you at any minute. 

This episode will take you to the places where some of the most iconic Westerns were shot, from Monument Valley to Kanab. We’re going to dive into the past and learn what it was really like making them and explore how the films made here have helped to shape a vision of the old west – good and bad – that has spread around the world.

Whether you’re a movie buff or you’ve never watched a Western before, we guarantee after listening to this you’ll be itching to hop on a horse and ride off into the sunset.

PLAN YOUR UTAH TRIP

To make this episode, we visited Monument Valley and Kanab, both beautiful places we highly recommend. If you want to learn more about experiencing the sights and attractions featured in this episode, go to VisitUtah.com or follow along on social media @VisitUtah. International listeners can also book this itinerary directly as a package, with lots of other bonus experiences too - just visit AmericanSky.co.uk/Utah-Holidays or learn more about all the incredible destinations around the state at VisitTheUSA.com or on social media @VisitTheUSA.

Thank you to the guests who featured in today’s episode:

• Norris Church with the Adventure Tour Company in Kanab adventure-tour-company.com
• Andrew Patrick Nelson, Film and Media Arts Chair at the University of Utah. Check out his podcast, How the West was Cast. 
• Dennis Judd, Kanab movie expert

CREDITS

This show was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Brian Thacker managed pre-production. Jenny Allison was the in-field producer and wrote the episode. Jason Paton did the recording, mix and sound design. Aaron Millar hosted and served as executive producer. www.armchair-productions.com

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