How the West was Won
The town of Superior has quite a history with the film industry. Some popular motion pictures and television series have had scenes filmed in and around the town. They have a production company based in town, Fishgate Productions, owned and operated by Superior residents Deborah Kay and her sister Rita Betti. Now with the state of Arizona promoting incentives for the film industry, Superior may be poised to draw more attention from film makers. Some of the pictures filmed in the Superior area follow:
1. Eight Legged Freaks – 2006 science fiction film involving giant spiders. Starred David Arquette. A young Scarlett Johansson appears in the film. Scenes filmed in Superior include giant spiders crawling up the front wall of the Magma Hotel.
2. The Gauntlet – 1977 action crime thriller starring Clint Eastwood and Sandra Locke. Scene shot on Main Street.
3. Alien Invasion – 2016 science fiction.
4. How the West was Won – 1962 Sweeping western saga with many big name stars including John Wayne, James Stewart and Gregory Peck. Magma railroad line and train engine #5 were used in the film.
5. The Prophecy – 1995 Horror film starring Christopher Walken. Scenes of Apache Leap.
U-Turn, Eight-Legged Freaks
6. U Turn – 1997 thriller drama directed by Oliver Stone and starring Sean Penn, Jennifer Lopez and Nick Nolte. Scenes around Superior include town scenes, the Magma Hotel, Picket Post and Apache Leap mountain. (Editor’s Note: The best scene was when Nick Nolte’s character was filmed reading a copy of that week’s Superior Sun!)
7. Blood on the Arrow – 1964 western starring Dale Robertson. Scenes shot along the Magma Railroad.
8. Lucky U Ranch – 2016 family drama set in a 1953 Arizona town. Scenes shot along the abandoned Magma Railroad.
9. Cheyenne Autumn – 1964 western directed by John Ford and starring Richard Widmark. Scenes shot on the Magma railroad line.
10. Raising Arizona – 1987 crime comedy featuring Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter.
11. Hombre – 1967 western starring Paul Newman. Scenes of Apache Leap Mountain.
12. Three Violent People – 1956 Western with Charlton Heston. Scenes shot of Picket Post Mountain and Apache leap.
13. Legend of the Superstition Mountains – 2015 Modern day treasure hunters reality TV show on the History Channel. Scenes of Picket Post Mountain and Apache Leap Mountain.
14. Blind Justice – 1994 Made for TV western.
15. The Lost Son – 1999 crime drama involving child trafficking.
16. Moonpie – 2006 romantic comedy.
17. The Salena Incident – 2007 Science fiction video involving an extraterrestrial object landing near the mining town of Salena. The video also went by the name Alien Invasion Arizona. Scenes include Superior High School, Picket Post Mountain, Apache Leap, Magma Hotel and areas in and around Superior.
18. Artisse – 2013 independent film about a young painter coming back to life after being in a coma for three months with a healing power in her art.
19. This is Tomorrow – A short film about a Zombie pandemic.
20. Arizona Mining Towns – 2009 documentary video.
21. Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural – Episode: The Unexplained Phoenix Lights Phenomenon 2018 – Television series about the supernatural and other unexplained phenomenon.
22. Rattlesnake Ranch – 2018 short drama directed by Superior’s own Deborah Kay and a Fishgate Productions film. Fishgate Productions is based in Superior. Deborah and her sister Rita Betti manage the company. Rita is a writer and film editor.
23. The Accounting – 2016 short drama/fantasy. A Fishgate Production.
24. The Advocate – 2017 short drama. A Fishgate Production.
25. Skinwalkers – 2002 made for tv movie based on a book by Tom Hillerman and starring Wes Studi. Scenes of Apache Leap Mountain.
26. Young Billy Young – 1965 western with Robert Mitchum. Magma train engine used in the film.
27. Used Cars – 1980 satirical comedy starring Kurt Russel.
28. The Fugitive – Television series 1963 – 1967.
The following television productions have had an episode or episodes with scenes filmed at Picket Post Mountain, Apache Leap Mountain or the Magma railroad: Gunsmoke 1955 -1975; Bonanza 1959 – 1973; Death Valley Days 1952 – 1970; High Chaparral 1967 – 1971; 26 Men 1957 – 1959; Wanted Dead or Alive 1958 – 1961.