[00:10] Speaker 1: Dust on the wind. Hear the stories called. Footsteps echo down an old town hall. Lights flash quick where the legends grew. Hollywood's riding back to you. Lights on the old frontier. Stories come alive right here. Step inside the past is true. Hollywood's looking back at you. Hollywood film and TV.

[01:16] Speaker 2: Hi, it's Nicole Brandon and welcome back to Hollywood Film and TV Magic. Today, I am in Prescott, Arizona. That is right, Prescott, Arizona. This is a wonderful time to be in Prescott and currently, I am starring in a show called Route 66 to the Grand Canyon. Right now, we are in Flagstaff. We are in the Theatricos Theater. We're also performing in the museum, the Northern Museum of Arizona, in the Route 66 museums, and then you will be able to see us perform all the way from Chicago and St. Louis and Oklahoma, Amarillo, Gallup, all the way down for Route 66. This has been an incredible, incredible show. One of the reasons I love doing this show so much, so much, is because we really don't have an audience. So let me explain that. Every show that I have ever done since I was, like, a tiny, tiny little person, I've been in the entertainment industry since I was super small. Every show that I've ever done has a particular audience. Ballet people go to ballets. Opera people go to opera.

[02:27] Speaker 2: Musical theater people that love musical theater go to musical theater. Drama people, Shakespeare, whatever that is. If you like jazz music, you'll hear a jazz concert. If you like classical music, you'll hear classical music. This show is so special because this show is the 100th anniversary show of Route 66. 100 years old this year, November, in 2026, Route 66 is 100 years old. So we have audiences that have maybe never even seen a show. We have people coming from Romania, we have people coming from the Netherlands. We have people, (laughs) you know, coming from almost every country possible, and every state. The other day we had an audience and we had all these people that had come from Michigan, or people that are coming from, you know, various states, various countries, various cultures. People could be in their 100s. People could be little, little kids. It could be teenagers. They could be all cultures, all backgrounds.

[03:28] Speaker 2: And some people are coming because, yes, they love theater and they're coming to the show, or they're subscribers for theater. But I would say a good, maybe 90%, 80% of the audience are people that are coming because they are fans of Route 66. They love the historical Route 66. So, I started doing some research about Route 66 in film and television, and I'm gonna talk to you today about some of Route 66. Route 66 covers, do you know how many states? It covers eight states. That's right, eight states along Route 66. Do you know how many national parks are along Route 66? It's funny, I... My character in the show is Ruth, and my character is a previous actress who is now applying to be Park Ranger. And through road magic, my character is able to see the audience. And all of a sudden, I can interact with the audience and I can ask the audience questions.

[04:35] Speaker 2: And one of the questions that we ask in the show is, "Do you know how many national parks," now, eight states, "do you know how many national parks are along Route 66?" And people shout out 30, 17, nine, whatever the answers are. The answer is one. There is only one national park, which is the Petrified Forest, really interesting, that runs along Route 66. Also, Cars, Pixar's Cars. If you are a fan of the movie Cars, then you know Cars is all about the journey on Route 66. So, what movies do you know, and that you can think of, that have been filmed along the historic Route 66? So today, we're gonna talk about just a few of them. And I think you will be astounded when you find out what actually has been filmed along Route 66. So, number one, Easy Rider. Easy Rider is known for its scenes along Route 66. Grapes of Wrath.

[05:51] Speaker 2: It's interesting because Jeopardy last week just had on Jeopardy one of the questions, was the character, this, in Steinbeck's novel Grapes of Wrath?They coined a phrase, and what was the phrase that they used? And actually, in Grapes of Wrath, they said "mother road." So that's actually where we get the expression "mother road" was from John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, which absolutely is a movie, and a story that we know that is associated with Route 66. Then there is the Bagdad Cafe. The Bagdad Cafe was a movie in 1987. And here, I can give you the dates. Easy Rider was 1969, and Grapes of Wrath was in 1940. So Easy Rider, 1969, Grapes of Wrath, 1940, and Bagdad Cafe, 1987, filmed along Route 66. So you can see the diversity, that you can see the different years, the different styles, when, when you have, uh, hotels, when you see these movie scenes, when you see the open road, when you see the freedom, when you see the diners, when you have, see the gas stations.

[07:18] Speaker 2: All of these scenes that are along historic Route 66, which is now a hundred years old in November of 2026. Come, the every state is having Route 66 events, anniversaries, shows, productions. I am blessed to be in the Route 66 to the Grand Canyon, the 100-year anniversary show. If you come see the show, come see me. Come backstage or let me know, send me a message, let me know you're coming to see the show. I would love to meet you. And if you are a Route 66 historian, we were asking questions the other day, and we give people prizes and awards for what they know about Route 66. And last week, we were doing this show and there was an 11-year-old in the audience, and this 11-year-old slated, he absolutely knew so much. I, I was shocked that this 11-year-old had so much information about historic Route 66.

[08:22] Speaker 2: Also, in the audience, we recently had somebody that taught a history class on Route 66, so I think that was kind of unfair because she (laughs) had all the knowledge and was able to shout out answers and certainly was able to win prizes and awards. But if you know about Route 66, come see our show, Route 66 to the Grand Canyon. And the movies that have been shot here have been absolutely amazing. So Little Miss Sunshine, Little Miss Sunshine, 2006, was filmed on Route 66. What about Starman? Starman was filmed in Flagstaff. Little Miss Sunshine was filmed in Winslow on Route 66. Starman was in 1984. So what are some of your favorite movies that have been filmed along Route 66? Easy Rider, we think about those motorcycles just going by. We think about the energy and the freedom and the power along Route 66. I know that I drive on Route 66 now since, especially since I'm doing this show, I'm on Route 66 a couple times a week.

[09:37] Speaker 2: I am constantly seeing things that I never saw before, and I feel like I want to stop every three seconds, like, "Oh, I want to see that. Oh, I want to see that. Oh, look at that shop. Look, look, look at that general store. Look at that hotel. Look at that sign." One of the other questions in Jeopardy is they used to have those big Midas men that were along the side of the road, which you will see in many of the movies. And the question on Jeopardy is what were those, what, uh, were those Midas men made of, or what are they made of? The answer is, "Fiberglass." On Jeopardy, they would say, "What is fiberglass?" They're made out of fiberglass. You can still see those big Midas men along the road. When you think about Route 66, we were talking on our last episode, we were talking about Tom Nicks, and we were talking about the Western films.

[10:28] Speaker 2: We were talking about the Granite Dells and why they filmed in the Granite Dells because those, that rocks are curved, and it was easier to slide off the rocks than a rock that has a cliff and a sharp edge to be able to jump down and jump on your horse and rescue the girls in all of the scenes that they shot, and, and the water below and what made that so exciting, and what made that the best location. And so today, we are talking about a location that actually spans eight states. So you're looking at Arizona, you're looking at California, you're looking at Missouri. You're looking at Illinois. You're looking at Texas. You're looking at New Mexico. You're looking at all of these states that are along Route 66, and where does Route 66 end? It ends in Los Angeles. That's right, it ends in Los Angeles. And Arizona, as a state, has the longest unbroken road. In the show, we talk about how Paul McCartney, uh, celebrates his 66th birthday, he celebrated his 66th birthday on Route 66.

[11:40] Speaker 2: And actually, when you do some research, Paul McCartney celebrated his 66th birthday on Route 66. He was with his girlfriend, he was in his Bronco. You can learn all about it. But he stopped in Oklahoma for directions, and they actually have a marker that it was his 66th birthday, and Paul McCartney was there. We have the song Get Your Kicks on Route 66 that Bobby Troup had created, but you... Nat King Cole and, and Glenn Frey and all of the artists that have recorded-... they get your kicks on Route 66, and the song actually started the myth of Route 66. So, let's talk about some more movies that were filmed there. So we said, Easy Rider, Grapes of Wrath, Little Miss Sunshine, Star Man, Baghdad Cafe, and Cars. One of the most famous, famous, famous, famous movies along Route 66 was How the West Was Won. So, if you remember How the West Was Won, being here in Arizona, being part of the western heritage in the film, and certainly we have the Hollywood Film and TV Tour.

[12:50] Speaker 2: If you would like to come and take the tour, contact me. We do the VIP tours, we do bus tours, we do walking tours. You can go and see where everything was filmed in the different locations here in Prescott and all through the state of Arizona, and I'm happy to share all of that with you. But How the West Was Won was one of the most iconic movies and- of its time and one of the most iconic movies in the history of all of filmmaking, and How the West Was Won is associated with Route 66. Then there are other movies that I just absolutely love. Thunder Run, The Edge of Eternity, and then there's the movie Roadhouse 66. Well, Roadhouse 66 is so much fun, and Roadhouse 66 is, yes, along Route 66 as well as the movie Route 66. So, when I was talking to somebody the other day about Roadhouse 66 and, and they said, "Oh, yeah, that stars so, so, so, and so," and I said, "No, that's not the case at all." So, just so you know, Roadhouse 66 and Route 66, two separate movies.

[14:08] Speaker 2: Both popular in their time, both brilliant, genius movies. Roadhouse 66 and Route 66, all filmed along the historic Route 66. Yes. Then, let's see what else I can share with you that's so fabulous. Ah. This is a movie that, when you think about there, it- it- it does something in your heart. It does something, like, where you breathe and you feel different and, and there's an, uh, an impact, and that movie is No Country for Old Men. That movie was created in 2007. No Country for Old Men. No Country for Old Men, yes, on historic Route 66. Then there's National Lampoon's 1983 movie, Vacation. So, you can't go any more different, right? No Country for Old Men and National Lampoon's Vacation in 1983. Fun, frivolity, crazy, insane, campy, stereotypical, playful, curious, just a barrel of laughs and (laughs) a barrel of drama and trauma, and just play, joy, happiness, laughter, lightness. National Lampoon's 1983 movie, Vacation.

[15:51] Speaker 2: So, I love when we look at how different, the- the diversity of films. So, from 1983, from National Lampoon's Vacation, other movies that are famous for being along Route 66 would be a movie like Rain Man. You look at Dustin Hoffman, you look at, at... You look at the characters in, in Rain Man. You look at the sensitivity and the, the life impact and the, the personal stories. You look at the performances. You look at the intricacy of a moment, and they might be in a diner and you are so fixated on that moment, you're not realizing that moment is taking place along Route 66 until, of course, they're in the car and you see as they're driving by.

[16:47] Speaker 2: And then there are other movies that you just can't help because you're right at that gas station and, and that movie never leaves that gas station along Route 66, or it's very clearly a hotel along Route 66 or as they were going, or you have the dust or you have that Western feel and you say, "Okay, this is Oklahoma," or, "Okay, this is a stretch of Arizona," or, "Okay, this is what Missouri looks like," or, "This is what, um, Illinois, New Mexico, Texas..." The, these, these states as you're going through that are all part of Route 66, and if you can look at these movies and say, "Oh, I know which state that was filmed in," or, "I know what part of Route 66 that movie was on," and you can say, "Okay, this is National Lampoon's 1983 Vacation, or this is No Country for Old Men," and then you have a movie as vastly different as Thelma and Louise. Uh, a, a movie that is about the- the road trip. A movie that, you know, you're associating that- that car journey and where they are going.

[17:56] Speaker 2: Then you have movies like Beneath the Dark, which was in 2010. Wild Hogs. Wild Hogs in 2007. How can we not remember Wild Hogs as being part of Route 66?When we're, uh, doing the show, uh... And I love doing this show so very much, and when we ask the audience questions about the journey along Route 66, we talk to them about the food, we talk to them about the all-night diners, or black coffee, or root beer floats that are served in the classic mugs or in the, the classic glasses, uh, chicken fried steak, the neon lights, and then of course, the cars that are res- just associated with Route 66. Some of the most classic cars. And if you were to go online now and look up car events for Route 66 for this 100th year, like the Century Club, there are so many car shows that are being presented and exhibitions this year.

[19:13] Speaker 2: So if you are someone that loves cars, if cars is your passion, if, (laughs) if cars is something that excites you, something that brings you joy, something that effervesces your soul, this is the year. This is the time. Come take a trip along Route 66 and see all of these incredible, remarkable, unbelievably special events for Route 66. Route 66, that's right. So right along Route 66, you're able to see that. What are your favorite movies that you could associate with? So let's say we talked about Starman, we talked about Little Miss Sunshine. We talked about The Grapes of Wrath. We talked about the classic movie, Easy Rider. If I close my eyes right away, I'm just transported to Route 66. Bagdad Cafe, Cars, How the West Was Won, the most classic movie of all time along Route 66. Thunder Run, Edge of Eternity, Mars Attacks, Roadhouse '66, No Country for Old Men, National Lampoon's Vacation, Beneath the Dark, and Wild Hogs. Huh. Let's go all the way to the other side.

[20:45] Speaker 2: So we have Wild Hogs on one side, and on this side we have, in 1994, Natural Born Killers. That's right. Also shot, associated with Route 66. So Wild Hogs, crazy, fun, insane, right? And then you have Natural Born Killers. Also, uh, Kill Bill 2 was also associated at that time. So Kill Bill 2, also known for being along Route 66. Thelma & Louise, we were talking about, was in 1991. I remember seeing Thelma & Louise, and just the part of me wanted to be on that journey, wanted to be on that excitement, on that road, on that place, and, and the where to go and the how to go and, and that journey just right along. And the characters in Thelma & Louise were characters that you get attached to. And they took you on this journey with 'em, which is just amazing. For you to be able to watch a movie, be inside the movie, inside the story, and going along, so you feel when you are watching Thelma & Louise that you are traveling along Route 66, right?

[22:10] Speaker 2: You are, you are part of that mystical, magical journey along the way. What did you feel when you watched Thelma & Louise? Was that your experience? Did you know that you were on Route 66 when you were watching Thelma & Louise? I love the fact that Route 66 has so much history. They even have a passport. You can get a Route 66 (laughs) passport as you go along. In the show that we are doing, Route 66 to the Grand Canyon, I invite you to come see this show. It is so much fun. But my character, Ruth, in the show, swerves to not hit a javelina. And javelina, if, um, that word is unfamiliar to you or if that animal's unfamiliar to you, it kind of looks like a wild pig. I did not know what a javelina was until I was here in Arizona. And you can look them up, javelinas. It's J-A-V, java- javelina, and you can look up what this animal looks like. But my character, Ruth, swerves to not hit a javelina on the road, and then I'm in a car accident. My car breaks down, and the road comes to life.

[23:32] Speaker 2: Mother Road comes to life. The trees come to life, everything around me, and I learn all about Route 66 on this incredible journey. The play was actually writ- by a British writer, and it was written in a way that it was meant to be as a farce. It was meant to be as a comedy. It's, it's meant to be interactive. And my character, because of the road magic, I am able to then see the audience and interact with the audience, and there is mechanics and tow truck drivers and ambulance drivers and all these characters throughout the play, and at the end of the show, I have learned-All about Route 66. But the lesson that I learned mostly about Route 66 and the show is about the journey. It's not about zooming on through Route 66. It's really about being able to take your time, but they say, "Stop and smell the roses," along the way. It's not about roses, because you're on a road, but what it is about is the show tells you not to be a day tripper.

[24:52] Speaker 2: It's telling you to actually be in search of an adventure, that when you are on Route 66, to take in the magic around you, to take in those surroundings around you. You take in these incredible trees, and the- the olden days when they used to have steam trains, it was the trees that were the fuel for the steam trains, which is why you have, like, college teams like the Lumberjacks, and they- they were honoring at that time. You have the Lowell Museum along Route 66, and the Lowell Museum in 1930, Claude Tombaugh, um, discovered Pluto as the ninth planet, and then in 2006, it was, uh, classified as a dwarf planet, but in 1930 when Claude Tombaugh discovered Pluto and it was classified as the ninth planet, that is the same year that Disney created Pluto, the character, which I think i- i- is very interesting when you know that, and all of the different elements and what became famous.

[26:06] Speaker 2: There's, uh, a donkey, Brighty, that was Theodore Roosevelt's donkey that visited the Grand Canyon, a- and they wrote- had projects and movies, Forever Wild and Forever Free and about the donkeys in the land. And so, when you look at a movie like Thelma & Louise, (laughs) it- it's a perfect example of being able to experience the experience of Route 66. And so I think that that's really what the road is about, and the fact that Route 66 has been used for so many movies. We go through, in the festivals that we're doing, and we go through... I am, uh, actually an official spokesperson for Route 66 now, and the movies that have been filmed here and the why they have been filmed here. Maybe we'll do that. Maybe we'll take time, and we'll just go through one movie, Thelma & Louise, or one movie, Natural Born Killers, or one movie, Kill Bill: Two, something like that, and we'll be able...

[27:19] Speaker 2: Or even the- the Christmas stories that have been filmed there and why those directors chose those locations, that hotel, that gas station, that diner, that landmark, that particular junction. Why... Why, and the where, and the how it was filmed, and how those scenes impacted movies that have become Academy Award-winning movies and classic movies of all time. And when you look at a movie and you think of a movie like Easy Rider, you can- you can see it. When you think of Thelma & Louise, you could see it. When you think of Cars, the Pixar's, you know, cartoon and animated film, Cars, you're immediately put onto Route 66. So, 100 years of ha- historic Route 66, and then you have, like, the Grand Canyon along the way, and you think about the- the Grand Canyon, and you think about Flagstaff, and you think about Kingman, and you think about Seligman.

[28:26] Speaker 2: Oh, so Seligman, every state has a Route 66 association, but the very first state to have a Route 66 association was indeed Arizona, and Seligman is where it was located. And Arizona, as a state, has the longest part of the unbroken route, the longest unbroken part of Route 66, which would go from Arizona all the way to the border of California. So, if you are making a movie and you are filming and you're thinking about, "I need this stretch of land," imagine if you are filming on a stretch of land that is now, this year, 100 years old. Historic Route 66 is 100 years old this November, 2026. Another film associated with Route twen- uh, with Route 66 is The Outsiders, and The Outsiders was a movie in 1983. Uh, it- it's a classic film, a classic cult film, a classic teen film, a film that changed and made a lot of careers and a lot of lives for these actors, all because they filmed along Route 66.

[29:58] Speaker 1: What else is there?

[29:59] Speaker 2: I'm gonna share with you as I'm looking at all my Route 66 notes here. So, there's a film festival here in Prescott, Arizona, and the film festival is here in July. I invite you to it. I have been to film festivals around the world, and the difference between a film festival like the Cannes Film Festival...When I'm at the Cannes Film Festival, and I've been at the Cannes Film Festival maybe 30 times, maybe more, when I have... That tells you my age, right? (laughs) But I've been to the Cannes Film Festival. It is a business. Even if you are on a yacht, even if you have the finest food, even if you are at a premier and your ticket is a hologram, and even though it is extravagant, it is extraordinary, it is about business and they are there to make deals for the business of the movies. When you go to something like Sundance and... oh, gosh, boy. Sundance Film Festival, one of the most passionate film festivals of all the film fests. It is about the joy of making movies.

[31:08] Speaker 2: You can be next to famous celebrities, you can be next to directors and they are just bubbling with enthusiasm. They love telling you why they made the movie, how they made the movie. They love making movies. The joy. It could be freezing, people are there with their hot cocoa next to one another and they are talking about the joy of making their movie and the adventure of making their movie, and you can talk to anybody and there really aren't barriers, and... And I was flying in and there was someone next to me and this, this woman, she, she tapped my shoulder as we were pulling in to the airport and she says, "Excuse me. Excuse me." And I said, "Yes?" She said, and she pointed out the window, she said, "Is that snow?" And I said, "Yes." And she said, "Snow." She had never saw snow before and it was like the most luscious sounding word I ever heard the way she said it. And I'm thinking, "Oh, I have to rent a car, I have to drive in snow." (laughs) . She was so...

[32:11] Speaker 2: It was so beautiful, it was so lovely. And so people come to Sundance and, and they are just opening their hearts, and they are opening their souls, and they're opening every little piece and part of them. And there is, there is such beauty and, and, and, and such magic. And then you have here, where I am today, the Prescott Film Festival. And I love the Prescott Film Festival. I love it with a big capital L, capital O, capital B, capital E. Love the Prescott Film Festival. Why do I love Prescott Film Festival so much? Well, first, this town is the most special town. And remember, movies started here. We can talk about whether they started in Hollywood or they started right here. Remember, there's a four-minute time difference and there's something like the chicken and the egg that they started the films here and Hollywood's saying they started the films here. These movies were started at the same time back when they were making silent movies.

[33:10] Speaker 2: And what made this city so very special is the fact that they had this incredible land to make the, these movies. But beyond that, the fact that everybody rode... Minorities were not minorities, minorities were not villains. Everybody rode in the Wild West together, so it was the very first city in the nation of humanitarianism. Also, other than the director or the, the, the one main actor, the townspeople were in movies, so the townspeople would go to the movies to see themselves because the bank teller was the bank teller in the movie, or they, they were all in these movies w- which was just phenomenal that they did that.

[33:58] Speaker 2: And the original movies, the very first sound stage, what they did was they had a platform and they had these rolling slats that they would use as backdrops, and they had the guy with the camera, and then they had like a little house, a little kind of building right next to it that was used for makeup and was used for hair and used for offices That original stage with the rolling slats is exactly in the location now where the Jim and Linda Lee Performing Arts Center is located, which is at Yavapai College, which is where the film festival is. So there's something about the energy about being there that you were actually where the very first studio in the early 1900s was located. And movies at that time gave this town this huge windfall and infused money into the city. This, the history of filmmaking here, and over 3,000 movies that were shot alone just in Yavapai County. Unbelievable. So you'll know the movies, you'll know the locations.

[35:06] Speaker 2: You're gonna walk and say, "Oh my gosh, this was filmed right here. This was filmed right here. This movie, the opening of this movie sequence was right here." You're sitting here having a burger, "Oh my gosh, I remember this scene from this movie." You're sitting having pancakes for breakfast, "I remember this scene from this movie." This... Everywhere you go, it's like being swaddled in movie history. The judges that pick the movies for Prescott Film Festival are absolute wizards. I've never seen a movie I didn't absolutely fall in love with here, whether that's a short, whether that's a long film, the choices of the movies and the filmmakers that they bring in and the interviews and the whole town. If you have never been to this town, it is what they say everybody's hometown. It is the most welcoming of cities. The people are lovely. They... You start your morning and it's like, "Good morning," and cheerful, and, and everybody is happy.

[36:04] Speaker 2: And then you have all of these businesses and the people could not be lovelier in who they are But when you see the film history, and even Emery Riddle and you think about, "Okay, that's where the coaching for Top Gun came from," and you look at the VA hospital and you say, "Oh, Universal Soldier was shot here and, and they made all these bunks and they made that look like Vietnam." Or Wishman was shot there at the VA hospital. Or you look at The Getaway and this is the A- the Apache Inn in Billy Jack and Junior Bonner and all of these movies that are shot here, you know, just..... on and on. The Abigail Mysteries, the TV series that was just shot here, originally Murders of the Heart and then became Abigail Mysteries. And then we have the film schools here. We have an incredible film school at Yavapai College. We also have an incredible film program in the middle school.

[37:01] Speaker 2: We have professional programs for kids that are between seven and 20 right now, where they're learning everything from editing and filming and, and sets and design. And they have grants with the latest, greatest equipment. We have holograms here for Western Heritage Museum where you can see somebody like Teddy Roosevelt k- a hologram. The film quality here, the Prescott Area Film Alliance that we have and, and the gathering of all of the filmmakers. So this festival, which takes place in July, is one of the very best film festivals and I invite you to be there. But also, I'm inviting you to this area for the Route 66 hundredth anniversary. So couple more movies that we can talk about that were filmed here. We have the Blues Brothers. Yes! Yes, Blues Brothers indeed was filmed along Route 66. Movies like, uh, Escape From New York. Movies like Forrest Gump.

[38:11] Speaker 2: So as I'm going through these, you can see I'm going through them rather quickly as I'm sharing with you the diversity of looking at a movie like Escape From New York and Natural Born Killers to Blues Brothers to a movie that literally has become a movie that could be everybody's favorite movie, like Forrest Gump, where expression is life is just a, you know, box of chocolates. And the things that, that we say, um, off of Forrest Gump and learning about the simplicity of life. But one of the things I love, looking at Forrest Gump, is Forrest Gump cherishes these moments and that's really what Route 66 is about. Route 66 is not about just driving and speeding on through and zooming on through.

[39:00] Speaker 2: Route 66, Route 66 is a road that is meant to help you experience life, to learn about yourself, to see everything around you, to meet people and new experiences and new places and new energies, which is why so many cinematographers, so many directors, so many script writers, so many screenplays, so many books, so many television shows have latched onto the energy of historic Route 66. Kalifornia with Brad Pitt in 1993. Kalifornia with a K. Kalifornia, shot along historic Route 66. One of my other favorite movies that's associated with Route 66 is a Steve Martin movie called Leap of Faith that was done in 1992. So Leap of Faith, Steve Martin, I think is, is so brilliantly talented and so brilliantly versatile and so brilliantly bright and, and his e- expressions and his cleverness and his delivery. And to be able to do a movie like Leap of Faith, and to be able to take Route 66 and be able to turn it into this uplifting, energetic, expansive place.

[40:44] Speaker 2: And then you look at a, a movie like Brad Pitt and Kalifornia and you're able to experience something that, that th- they're literally taking you down a pathway of this character and this very carved, very created, very clever character. Compare it to Leap of Faith, both brilliantly talented actors, very different views of historic Route 66. Convoy movie back in 1978. Convoy, a very popular movie, especially when we look at, um, movie posters and movies that are played all around the world, have international distribution, movies that you can see played over and over and over again, whether it's on Olive, the different streaming platforms, Convoy is one of those movies that we get to see a lot because it's very popular and people were very attracted to the movie Convoy and are very attracted to the movie Convoy. And yes, Convoy, Route 66, of course. There is the movie Twisters, The Founder, Hot Rods, Waking Up in Reno, a movie back in 2002.

[42:05] Speaker 2: Also, a, a fun, crazy, insane, playful, joyful, gotta, you know, you start watching Waking Up in Reno and you can't, you can't leave, you can't get up, you can't go get yourself something to eat or you, you have to stay, you have to be late for your meetings or whoever you were meeting or whatever you were doing, Waking Up in Reno, you're there, you're watching this movie, you're kind of trapped in this movie. But you are also waking up in Reno and you are along Route 66. Ace in the Hole, a movie back in 1951. Um, other popular, popular, popular movies along Route 66, Joe Dirt-... Midnight Run, a very famous movie from 1988. So as I go through these movies, you can see these are just samples. I mean, these are... I, I could spend all day and all night and days and nights telling you all the movies that have been shot along Route 66. But these movies, if you are looking this year to celebrate Route 66, watch Joe Dirt, watch Midnight Run, and then see where they're shot, go and visit.

[43:21] Speaker 2: These locations still exist. That's some of the best part, is that when you go in and you go to one of these locations, you can go into Ma Burger's here in Prescott, and there is Billy Jack was shot there. You can go into the palace and, and the Junior Bonner's there and you still see (laughs) bullet holes on the wall. And, and thes- these locations still exist. The, uh, uh, Apache and all of the things, all of these places that, that you see and you know. The, the courthouse stairs bless the beasts and the children. You see the kids running up. Or you look at movies like Nobody's Fool or, or movies where, uh, Zoo Gang. That's a great example of a movie, Zoo Gang. Uh, Hacienda and the kids were on the roof in Zoo Gang. And, and then you look down the street, and that's where they push the trailer just right down this street here. And, and you can see those scenes in your head. You can see Ben Marine here. You see the tire shops.

[44:21] Speaker 2: The, the locations here, just show up and, and spend the day. Take the tour or on your own do some research, and you will be mind-boggled that you are standing in the exact location where the scenes, some of your favorite movies, Jolene, were shot here in this church or at this, the porch or at this restaurant. And then as you are driving these eight states of Route 66 and you can think of all of these movies that were shot along this way. Two-Lane Blacktop back in 1971, Hollywood or Bust, um, Passport to the World, Over the Top. And (laughs) I, I can just go on and on and on, and there's so many Christmas movies that have been shot along historic Route 66. So I'm inviting you as we talk about Hollywood film and TV magic this year, and I will infuse more.

[45:22] Speaker 2: Maybe I'll bring in the directors for several of these movies for you and the set designers and we talk about why they were filmed along Route 66, why we chose these locations, bring in the actors, what it was like to be along Route 66. Because it really does feel different on Route 66. When you're filming, I can tell you that as an actress, that being on a historic site, on a historic road, something that has been here 100 years, 100 years, that all these people have traveled on a road that represents something, a road that represents freedom, a road that represents energy, a road that represents being able to literally stop and pause for a moment and appreciate a road that's associated with these classic cars that we know from a historical times.

[46:13] Speaker 2: Or the train history or a road that is associated with food and, and all-night diners or milk shakes (laughs) and the root beer floats and, and, and the trees and, and the museums and the Petrified Forest and dinosau- I mean, everything that you can imagine along the way of Route 66 is here. So come see our show, explore show, Route 66 to the Grand Canyon right now at Theatricos in Flagstaff or the Museum of A- or the Museum of Arizona. Also, the Route 66 museums, and we will be touring through the Route 66 towns. And come here to Prescott for the film festival in July. I look forward to meeting you there. And it is a fantastic... If you are a film festival buff, this is where you want to be. The, the, the choices of films are just extraordinary here, and it is the most welcoming city and town and certainly the history.

[47:19] Speaker 2: Nowhere else are you going to be at a film festival, doesn't matter where you go as a film festival, nowhere else you're going to go that you are actually standing on where the very first films were shot back in the early 1900s, and you can feel the energy. And then stop by the Western Heritage Museum to see their display of over 300 movies that have been shot here. And being able to go back into that historical time and all of the movies that have won Academy Awards, all of the movies that have won accolades, all of the movies that have been so well-represented in this area and have made history of all time. And whether it be from the, the costumes or the sets or the scripts or the actors that have won Academy Awards, each and every one of these movies you look at and you're just like, "I know this movie. I had no idea that it was shot here.

[48:31] Speaker 2: I had no idea that this is where that scene was..." There are movies that you could see that even the movie takes place in Kansas and you think that you're watching Kansas or you think you're watching Montana in the movie. No. The movie might say that they're in Montana, but it was actually shot right here in the backyard of Prescott. It was shot right here on this land. And when you see it, you're like, "Oh my gosh, I know that scene. I know that movie. I know that place." It's just...Brilliant. It's fantastic. So, I invite you, um, email me, you know, Nicole at nicolebrandenworldwide.com. If there is a movie you know and you want me to talk about it, I am happy to do that, and come join us on this historical ride of Route 66, 100 years of movie history, movie making, and some of the most famous and brilliant movies of all time.

[49:27] Speaker 2: And if you are traveling on Route 66, take your time, enjoy, see everything, everything, and I look forward to seeing you on the next episode of Hollywood Film and TV Magic. Enjoy the 100-year history of Route 66. Come see the show, Route 66 to the Grand Canyon. Come to the Prescott Film Festival, and we look forward to seeing you all on Route 66.

[50:09] Speaker 1: Lights on the old frontier. Every legend lingers here. Through the lens of time and truth. Every step rewrites you. Take the trail, no need to fear. Hollywood is standing near. In the dust where the stories grew. The screen is looking back at you. Out where the West and the movies meet. That's where the stories never sleep.