Arizona’s sun-drenched valleys, picturesque vistas and sprawling cities have long been a hotspot for movies crews.
Though everyone knows “Psycho” and “Raising Arizona” were filmed in the Valley of the Sun, some forget that one of Hollywood’s brightest star of the ’50s came to Phoenix to film a critically acclaimed movie.
Marilyn Monroe, who was no stranger to Arizona, filmed “Bus Stop,” a 1956 drama movie that ultimately earned her second Golden Globe nomination, in Phoenix.
“It was a major, major event to have Marilyn Monroe in town filming a movie,” Phoenix historian Steve Schumacher said.
Here’s what to know about Monroe’s time in Arizona and where she liked to stay.
Marilyn Monroe filmed ‘Bus Stop’ in Phoenix
Monroe had her first major breakout roles in 1953 with “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and “How to Marry a Millionaire.” These movies helped her skyrocket to stardom.
However, after a tumltuous relationship with 20th Century Fox, Monroe formed her own production company and again signed a contract with Fox. It was under this deal that she came to Phoenix to film “Bus Stop.”
In the movie, Monroe plays Cherie, a saloon singer in Phoenix who falls in love with a cowboy, played by Don Murray, who is in town for a rodeo. Over the course of the movie, the cowboy attempts to marry her and take her to his ranch in Montana against her wishes.
Several of the movie’s iconic scense were filmed in Phoenix, including outside the Westward Ho, at the Arizona State Fairgrounds and the bus depot. The rest of the movie was filmed in Los Angeles and Idaho.
“Marilyn Monroe in town was a really big deal,” Schumacher said.
After the movie was released in the summer of 1956, Monroe received critical acclaim with reviewers saying she had “finally proved herself an actress.” She went on to be nominated for Golden Globe in the best actress category.
The Sahara Motor Inn opened in 1956 at the corner of First St. and Polk St and that first year Marilyn Monroe stayed in the hotel’s three-room penthouse suite overlooking the pool while she was in town to shoot the movie, Bus Stop. It became the Ramada Inn in the 1960’s.
Marilyn Monroe enjoyed these swanky Phoenix hotels
While filming Bus Stop, Monroe stayed in a three-room penthouse suite at the Sahara Motor Inn. The hotel, which was located at Polk and First streets where ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law now stands, opened to large fanfare in the ’50s. Though the downtown area was home to several prominent hotels, this one was different.
“Those were premium kind of hotels,” Schumacher said, “and the approach with the Sahara was a little more of a reasonable-priced hotel for people to come to.”
However, Monroe visited Phoenix on multiple occasions preferred to stay at the San Carlos Hotel, where Mae West and Clark Gable were also guests.
Marilyn Monroe films “Bus Stop” in Phoenix in 1956.
“San Carlos was one of her favorite, if not her favorite, hotel to stay at just to get away when she would come here,” Schumacher said.
Monroe reportedly always requested the same room at the San Carlos because it was closest to the pool, so she could slip away and not be bothered by fans at the hotel.
Phoenix and Hollywood stars
Metro Phoenix has long been a popular spot to film movies for several key reasons.
“Hollywood, like most businesses, is about money,” Schumacher said. “Instead of trying to film somewhere in downtown Los Angeles or work at a studio and hire extras and so forth from the area and set up a soundstage, they could come to Phoenix and pretty much do the same thing and it would be a lot cheaper.”
On top of that, the year-round weather and access to wide open landscapes for filming made it a really popular place for movies to film. In the ’50s and ’60s alone, filming for movies like “Psycho,” “Sound of Fury” and “The Nutty Professor” brought stars and crews to Arizona.
In addition to visiting for work, many celebrities of the ’50s and ’60s came to Arizona to escape. Though there were many popular hotels like Westward Ho and Camelback Inn, the Arizona Biltmore was “the biggest attraction for celebrities,” Schumacher said.
Not only did comedian and actor Bob Hope play golf with Arizona construction heavyweight Del Webb at the resort, but Irving Berlin, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and others stayed there.
“Celebrities could get away from masses of people, because in those days … the Biltmore was really way out of town,” Schumacher said. “It was a resort all on its own.”
Steve Schumacher
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A bunch of movies have been filmed here and still are. What made/makes Phoenix a popular spot for Hollywood?
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What was Phoenix like in the 50s?
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Any specific info on Bus Stop?
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Back in that era, what were some celebrity hotspots?
1950s that decade still today remains the greatest growth within phoenix, percentage wise. from 1950 to 60 the pop increased 400%. there have been increases over this last 10 years or so there’s been growth, but nothing like the 50s
100,000 in 1950 by 1960 400,000+
post world war 2, soldiers who trained here liked the weather here and wanted to move here. AC became cheaper, valley national bank added that cost to mortgages
the major impetus to that growth in the 50s was that phoenix annexed that area around south mountain, maryvale. by annexing those areas there was a lot of people in a high population number in that area
infrastucture was a tough situation to maintain and keep up with so fast
downtown shopping was shifted from downtown to shopping malls like park central and uptown plaza
it was a time of major change. phoenix has always changed but the 50s were a time of major change.
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biltmore — was a luxury resort out a way from town and ecelebs could get away from people
camelback inn was popular, but primarily bilt was popular as a place to get away
mae west, clark gable, marilyn monroe at san carlos.
san carlos was one of her favorite, if not her favorite, to stay at. wanted the same room everytime closest to the swimming pool, hoping to not be bothered by fans
westward ho too
biltmore first, bob hope played golf there with del webb. second camelback inn (JFK)
hollywood like most biz is about money, instead of trying to film somewhere in dwtn la or work at a studio and hire extras and set up a soundstage and do all that, they could come to phx do the same thing and it would be a lot cheaper
this year around weather and you have some areas outside of town where you could film in an open area.
not so much in LA,
the main thing … primarliy the main reason they would film here is the cost. it’s going to be substantially cheaper than putting togeth a holly wood movie
sahara inn — built by del webb in the 1950s. he built the sahara in downtown, there wasn’t .. the san carlos and westward ho were downtown, but htose were premium hotels. the sahara was more of a reasonably priced hotel
the sahara was a bit more moderately priced and could attract more middle income. it was a huge huge event to have that hotel.
george gobbel, popular 50s guy, came here to kick off the opening of the hotel. it was a huge thing. in the 50s a lot of hotels in phoenix had themes, like sahara was arab themed
kon tiki, bagdad hotel, era kind of theme
marilyn monroe in town was a really big deal. they filmed right at the westward ho during one of the rodeo parades so they could automatically get a big crowd for some the scenes
filmed at fair grounds
filmed at bus depot, downtown at that time was 1st/2nd st and van buren
hired a lot of extras in town. it was a major major event to have marilyn monroe in town
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Marilyn Monroe filmed ‘Bus Stop’ in Phoenix. Here’s what to know