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Lifelong Kanab resident recalls town's "little Hollywood" era
Summary
Dennis Fornsworth Judd, a lifelong resident of Kanab, Utah, described the town's history hosting Hollywood film productions, recalling large crews, local extras paid about $35 per day, and visits from stars including Clint Eastwood, Joel McCrea and Frank Sinatra.
Dennis Fornsworth Judd, a lifelong Kanab, Utah, resident, recalled the town’s history as a popular filming location for Hollywood Westerns and the local role in supporting productions.
“My name is Dennis Fornsworth Judd. I was born in Kanab, Utah about, 77 years ago, and this is where I was born and raised,” Judd said, describing Kanab’s varied landscapes — sand dunes, forests and cliffs — that drew film companies to the area.
Judd said three major production companies filmed in Kanab at the same time during the town’s peak movie years and that local families supplied horses, stock and mules for Western shoots. “We enjoyed being extras because we got, I think it was $35 a day. And and if you got your horse on, then you got another $35 a day. And so, $70 when you were 12, 13 years old was pretty good money,” he said.
Judd named several celebrities he saw in Kanab, including Clint Eastwood, Joel McCrea and Frank Sinatra, and said the town’s unspoiled landscapes and distinctive cloud formations distinguished it from Los Angeles. “Come and see the beautiful unspoiled landscapes that Hollywood used for all their great movies. It's a great place to come and enjoy, magically unspoiled,” he said.
The remarks were a personal recollection rather than a policy discussion; no formal actions or decisions were recorded in the transcript concerning the subject.
Judd’s account highlights local memories of Kanab’s film-era economy and its continuing appeal to visitors interested in the landscapes that drew filmmakers decades earlier.
