It is time for movies

I have always enjoyed Western movies, for the most part, but I have to admit, in recent weeks I have become almost addicted to them.

It started when I bought two different collections. One was a James Stewart bundle, all Westerns. I guess I have always associated him with “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Philadelphia Story” so I didn’t realize he had done quite a few Westerns. I bought the set because it had the movie “Rare Breed”. I was pretty young when it came out but I had some vague memory from my childhood being in a theater and watching parts of it.

If you don’t know the premise of the movie, it was about two English ladies brought a Hereford bull to the United States to breed with Longhorns. I have no idea why this movie stuck with me but, when I saw it was part of the collection, I bought it.

There was another bundle of four Westerns which had Shane, “Wild Bunch”, “The Searchers and Shootout in the OK Corral.” I snagged it, too.

I didn’t expect to become enthralled with the Western genre, but the first movie I watched was “Shane”.

What a great movie. It was spectacular in many ways, not the least of which was the setting. It was filmed in the Tetons near Jackson. This movie was made before I was born in 1955 and although I believe I had seen it once before, this classic started me on a Western movie watching binge.

Next on my list was “Rare Breed” and it lived up to my expectations. No wonder I remembered it a little.

“Winchester 73” was the next one I watched and I was surprised how well done it was. I understand why it is a benchmark movie. The plot was not typical and the star was actually a Winchester rifle produced in 1873.

I was on a roll with my Western movie watching. “The Searchers” with John Wayne was another great movie with wonderful scenery of the Southwest. That story is about the search for a young girl who was abducted years before by a hostile tribe. Natalie Wood played the young girl.

The oldest Western I have watched so far was “Destry Rides Again”, made in 1949. It was also really good and James Stewart looked like a kid.

“White Fang” might not be considered a Western, but it was set in the gold rush of the Klondike and it certainly had elements of a Western.

The Western genre has become interesting to me because I live out west.

So when I went to Sheridan this past week for the Fall Summit for Wyoming Tourism, I really enjoyed the drive because I was going through towns like Medicine Bow, Kaycee, Buffalo and Sheridan itself. The scenery was diverse and amazing.

Wyoming is beautiful country, there can be no doubt.

At the Fall Summit, one topic broached was trying to get the movie industry to consider Wyoming for filming locations, especially movies which had a storyline in the state.

I know the “Revenant” was shot elsewhere although a major part of the story took place in our state. “Brokeback Mountain” was another Oscar winning movie which had its story based in Wyoming, but was shot elsewhere.

Don’t get me wrong. Canada, Montana, New Mexico and Utah are beautiful places, but they are not Wyoming.

At the summit it became clear, the reason the movie industry steers clear of Wyoming is the state does not offer incentives to film here.

Other states do and they get shoots.

How is it possible that Carbon County local author C.J. Box, who is a New York Times bestseller and has TV shows based on his books, shot in other Western states all because this state won’t give any incentives? To the legislators who oppose an incentive program, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

Maybe the state won’t be getting as much money because of incentives, but the state isn’t getting any major movie period, so there is no money.

A movie filmed in any region of Wyoming would be a boon to economies. In Carbon County, where our topography is incredibly diverse, I really feel we are tailor made to have movies produced here. The Grand Encampment Museum and Savery Museum in Little Snake River Valley are almost ready made sets. The main street next to the Virginian almost feels like Wyatt Earp should be walking down looking for a gunslinger to take out. The North Platte River has so many beautiful spots, it is a natural for many types of films, not just a Western.

Personally, I just can’t see one reason why the coming legislature can’t come together and pass an incentive program to get movies shot here.

At the Fall Summit, Governor Mark Gordon graciously gave me a few moments for an interview. When we talked about the film industry, he pointed out the last major movie production to come to Wyoming was “Shane”.

As I pointed out earlier, the movie was made 1955.

That means over 65 years has passed since Wyoming has had a major movie made here. To me that is just crazy, especially when there are current TV shows set in Wyoming but shot elsewhere.

One of my favorite shows is “Titans” and most of it is shot in Canada although most of the action is supposed to be in San Francisco, Washington D.C., Ohio and Wyoming. At least in SFO and D.C. they are shooting landmarks. The Wyoming locale, nothing.

It is time for a change and Wyoming should not only have incentives, the state should do its best to have excellent breaks. Georgia now shoots more movies and TV shows than even Vancouver or Hollywood. Atlanta is booming from this industry.

Wyoming could boom too because of the natural settings. It is really hard to beat. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a Western although it is a genre this state can do well. “Shane” proved that some years ago.

“Shane” is so effective at its end, because a little boy calls out to Shane to come back as the hero rides into a sunrise, leaving the town behind.

A Wyoming sunrise.