Of course, whether or not the studios' productions hit a rich vein at the box office, the march of film crews into town meant cold, hard cash for the locals. The movie business brought a steady stream of jobs, rental fees and commerce to what was then still a small, out-of-the-way agricultural community.

The local filming of Copper Canyon provides a good illustration of what the movies meant to Sedona. Published reports at the time stated that up to a quarter of Sedona's 400 residents were hired at rates as high as $15 per day - good money back then - as extras, riders, construction workers and drivers. At the same time, when the crew of about 150, including all the main cast with the exception of lead actress Hedy Lamarr, began arriving on May 16, 1949, it was a windfall for local shopkeepers and property owners.