In 1966, Burt Lancaster came through Boulder City to film a movie titled “The Professionals” for Columbia Pictures. “The Professionals” is an adventure movie that revolves around a kidnapped wife and a contract. “The Professionals” was also the first Western movie to feature nudity, which was only one of the many controversies surrounding the movie’s star.
There is a significant tie between Boulder City and “The Wizard of Oz” starring actress Judy Garland. Back in 1938, MGM produced a 10-minute promotional short movie titled “Electrical Power.”
Zane Grey, one of the first self-published authors, had a career that exceeded 89 books and $40 million in revenue. His work went from print to motion picture format on more than one occasion. One of the movies based on a Grey book was first titled “The Mysterious Rider” before being retitled as “The Fighting Phantom” in 1933. The movie was filmed at Hoover Dam, bringing actors Kent Taylor and Lona Andre through Boulder City.
In 1996, Academy Award-nominated actress Salma Hayek filmed a Columbia Pictures movie titled “Fools Rush In” with Emmy Award-nominated actor Matthew Perry at Hoover Dam.
It’s almost Halloween. Little ghosts, goblins and ghouls will soon be out in full force as they try to leave a haunting impression on neighbors brave enough to hand out candy. While the tricks and treats will be in good spirit, there are two Hollywood actors with spooky connections to Boulder City’s own annual Dam Short Film Festival.
One of my first jobs in the event planning and marketing field was as a special promotions coordinator. The goal was to use the company’s celebrity clientele as brand equity. In other words, my department would exchange services for a photo of the star visiting the business in order to generate a newsworthy mention and ultimately a surge in sales.
In 1951, notable actress Ginger Rogers made her way through Boulder City to the Hoover Dam to get married — well for a movie.
Less than a month ago I was at the opening of The Tap enjoying a bouquet of independent music. As I sat on the patio, I watched droves of people arrive at the parking lot’s entrance smiling and pointing at the temporary stage. Boulder City’s skyline had temporarily been lit up by waving searchlights, and the city’s usually quiet 1950s charm changed its tune as Bad Moon Booking showcased a hodgepodge of musical talent.
Boulder City has found its way into the middle of what has been dubbed “a premier postmodern Western.” Dealing with reincarnation, mysticism, visions, purgatory and the Wild West, writer Jim Jarmusch brought together actors Johnny Depp, Billy Bob Thornton, Robert Mitchum, Crispin Glover and Iggy Pop for a black and white film titled “Dead Man.”
A few weeks ago my framily (friends who are practically family), Monica Maltese and Gabriel Carvajal, came through Boulder City on a cross-country adventure. They started out on the East Coast and were San Diego bound.
