Kanab: The Desert’s “Little Hollywood”

In the remote, stunning landscape of Southern Utah, nestled among towering Navajo sandstone cliffs and boundless red desert, lies Kanab. This quiet town of just over 4,000 residents once served as the bustling epicenter of Western filmmaking, a place so integral to the genre that director William Wellman famously christened it “Little Hollywood”.

The story began in 1924, when silent film actor Tom Mix filmed Deadwood Coach in the area, captivating audiences with scenery that Hollywood’s backlots couldn’t replicate. Enter the Parry brothers—local entrepreneurs who recognized the potential. They actively promoted their hometown to studios, building the historic Parry Lodge in 1931 to house the influx of stars and film crews. Their initiative turned Kanab into a cinematic powerhouse, sustaining the local economy during the Great Depression when other towns struggled.

A Walk Through Cinematic History

Over the decades, more than 100 films and television shows were shot in Kanab and the surrounding canyons. The town’s versatile landscape stood in for everything from the American frontier to Arabian deserts and even Mars. This rich legacy is preserved today:

• The Little Hollywood Museum: This free attraction allows visitors to walk among original outdoor sets used in classic films and TV shows like The Outlaw Josey Wales (starring Clint Eastwood) and Gunsmoke. The museum houses props and memorabilia, offering a tangible link to the golden age of cinema.
• Parry Lodge: Now a historic, operating lodge, it once hosted Hollywood legends including John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, Charlton Heston, and Clint Eastwood. John Wayne is even rumored to have paid for the installation of the lodge’s swimming pool. The on-site Old Barn Theatre screens many of the films made in the area.
• Iconic Landscapes: Visitors can explore the nearby Johnson and Paria Canyons, where many of the classic Western outdoor scenes were filmed. The decaying Gunsmoke set is still visible from the road in Johnson Canyon.

The Legacy

While the height of the Western era has passed, Kanab’s cinematic spirit endures. Its unique red rock bluffs and vast skies continue to attract filmmakers for modern productions like Planet of the Apes (2001) and The Lone Ranger (2013).

Kanab is more than just a charming desert town; it’s a living archive of American film history, where the dust of the Old West was kicked up by some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape and the culture.