Heaven's Gate

I’ll make this short.  Unlike the movie, which seemed interminable because I watched the director’s cut which ran 3 hours and 39 minutes long.

I know that revisionist history says Heaven’s Gate, about the Johnson County War in Wyoming, is a masterpiece.  And I watched it for that reason and also because several ASJ episodes in the 3rd season dealt with the Johnson County War (Bushwhack!, What Happened at the XST?, Witness to a Lynching). 

But I just couldn’t get into it; the action moved waaay too slowly for me.  It was also hard to keep all the characters straight.  Also, some of the scenes strained my credulity and just didn’t seem realistic to me.  I especially didn’t like the ending.  On the other hand, the cinematography was beautiful and the set design was great.

Gammons Gulch

Gammons Gulch, located about two hours southeast of my home, is a small Old West film set.  It’s near Benson, Arizona, and looks like it’s in the middle of nowhere but it’s easy to reach and makes a fun day trip for anyone who wants to step back in time for a little while. It’s privately owned so reservations are needed but only a nominal entrance fee is charged.

Entrance sign to Gammons Gulch

The owner gives a guided tour but this doesn’t take real long and then you are free to wander around for as long as you like.  What sets Gammons Gulch apart from other Old West film sets in Arizona is that it can also function as a set for early 20th century productions because it has props, including some old automobiles, from that time period, too.  These are out of sight, though, so as you walk down the main street and duck through the alleys, they are not visible.  The ambience is definitely that of the Old West.

The view down Main Street

At one end of the main street, as you enter the site from the parking area, there is a saloon on one side and a storefront photography shop on the other.  The shop is closed to visitors but the saloon is open and decorated with a few photos of shots from famous Westerns that the owner, Mr. Gammon, worked on as a child actor.

Saloon at one end of Main Street

I walked down the main street and took photos of one side, then the other.  Some buildings I could enter, such as the jail.  I couldn’t help but think what Heyes and Curry might have thought if they had been held there, especially as the “hanging tree” was visible through the window in the back of the place.

The "hanging tree" behind the jail

There are also some other buildings behind the main street, up on a hill.  I liked the homesteader cabin – it made me think of all families in the Old West that could have lived there.  It was actually kind of sad, what with all the cobwebs and all.

Exterior of homesteader's cabin

Interior of homesteader's cabin

Also located up a hill and behind the main section of Gammons Gulch is the entrance to a mine.  It looked obviously abandoned and it wasn’t possible to go inside.  Not that I’d want to!

The mine entrance

At the other end of the main street was a church.  It was interesting to me that this church and the one at Old Tucson Studios were both a little bit away from the rest of the “town.”  It was almost as if the religious building didn’t quite belong in the rest of the town.  Or maybe the rest of the town wasn’t quite good enough for the church!

Typical Old West-looking church

Whenever I visit a place like this, I like to photograph details as well as larger scenes.  Below are a couple of such photographs.

Horseshoes on a fence post

Wagon wheels

All in all, Gammons Gulch is a fun place to visit and worth the drive.