Lili Debarbieri

Location Filming in Arizona: the Screen Legacy of the Grand Canyon State Lili Debarbieri

Lights! Camera! Action! Arizona! The scenic natural vistas of Arizona's deserts and mountains have made it a favorite backdrop of movies and television shows. Westerns such as silent-era pictures derived from Zane Grey fiction through the John Ford-John Wayne classics Stagecoach and The Searchers benefited from the beautiful and rugged landscapes. TV classics such as Gunsmoke and Little House on the Prairie helped define Arizona allure for Hollywood. Oscar winners Jerry Maguire and Little Miss Sunshine benefited from the infrastructure that accumulated to lure filmmakers to Tucson, Yuma, Phoenix, Prescott, Sedona, and all corners of the Grand Canyon state. Join author Lili Barbieri as she looks at the movies and shows shot in the state as well as other aspects of Arizona film culture.