Sedona Monthly Magazine | Sedona Arizona art, restaurants, hiking and feature stories

Johnny Guitar

When Joan Crawford arrived in Sedona in fall 1953 to shoot her new movie, Johnny Guitar, she was one of the world's most glamorous stars. By the time she left, she had given her director morning sickness, littered Hwys 89A/179 with her costar's clothes, stolen dialogue written for her leading man — and, much to everyone's surprise, left us with the enduring work of art we celebrate on this golden anniversary.

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The story of the Johnny Guitar company's visit to Sedona is as wild and wooly, as colorful and complicated, as the movie itself proved to be; the saga of this famously troubled production, played out in our hometown, is a real-life slice of local lore with juicy ingredients equal to the most over-the-top movie melodrama: raging divas, jealousy, anxiety, starstruck locals, rejection and, ultimately, redemption.

At its simplest level, the story is about Vienna (Crawford), a saloon/gambling hall owner despised by the locals, who plans to build her own town once the railroad comes through. Vienna's lover, an outlaw known as the Dancin' Kid (Scott Brady), previously had spurned Emma (Mercedes McCambridge), a venomous local cattle rancher. When the Dancin' Kid tries to rob the local bank before fleeing to California, Emma seizes the opportunity to get her revenge on both Vienna and the Kid. Meanwhile, Vienna's old flame, Johnny Guitar (Sterling Hayden), returns to protect her from the vengeful townspeople.

Johnny Guitar opened on May 27, 1954, to almost universally negative reviews. Even so, it did well at the American box office, but was soon forgotten. Over the years, American critical opinion of Johnny Guitar has changed its tune. Constantly revived at film festivals, it is studied in film schools, has fan clubs and a loyal international cult following, and is shown regularly in museum programs; a restored print even was given a weeklong theatrical in New York City in 2003.

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