City Slickers 1991. Columbia Pictures, MGM/UA Video, Color, Aspect Ratio 1.85 : 1, 112 minutes, Rated PG-13 Release Date: June 7, 1991 City Slickers is available at Amazon.com on DVD, as a Special Collector’s Edition DVD, on Blu-ray, and on VHS. Movie Synopsis: Action-comedy in which three thrill-seeking, thirtysomething, New York buddies head out to a dude ranch for a two-week cattle drive in the contemporary Southwest. Cast: Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Helen Slater, Jack Palance, David Paymer, Tracey Walter, Josh Mostel, Patricia Wettig Director: Ron Underwood Thoughts on the Movie: Billy Crystal is the mastermind behind the City Slickers franchise, and the concept was a good one: the old “fish out of water” with a twist, as we watch these jaded New Yorkers make their way through a real cattle drive in the Utah wilderness. And speaking of Utah... how do you find the words to capture the absolute beauty of this part of Amercia? It’s certainly something to put on your “things to do before you die” list. I’ve yet to go there, but I sure hope some day I do get to see this scenery. Back to Billy Crystal. He’s funny. He’s witty. He’s smart. And he’s cute (can you say, “baseball cap in the Wild West”?). But the last one of those is the least important. The bottom line is that City Slickers is pure fun. I laugh every time I watch this film. It doesn’t get stale. I guess that means it’s timeless. Without a doubt, highly recommended. ~Jean Location Site: Fisher Towers, near Moab, Utah (see Map) This breathtaking array of red rock spires was a major location for the cattle drive scenes in City Slickers. Fisher Towers is located in the Bureau of Land Management’s Canyon Rims Recreation Area, between Moab and Montcello, Utah. Visible for miles, this rock formation is reached via a 3-mile graded dirt road that begins on Colorado River Scenic Byway 128, 21 miles northeast of US 191. A cluster of dark red spires, Fisher Towers rises from the 2,000-foot-high south wall of Professor Valley. Titan, at 900 feet, is the tallest of the towers. A 2-mile-long hiking trail follows the base of the towers, climbing to an overlook of Onion Creek. You can picnic here if you like. Right: The magnificence of Fisher Towers, one of the major locations in the Utah wilderness used for the 1991 action-comedy movie, “City Slickers.” About Moab, Utah: Moab, Utah (population 4,779; elevation 4,026 feet; 38° 34’ 21” N, 109° 32’ 59” W) is located in the southeastern part of the state on State Highway 191. Moab is located on the Colorado River nestled in a linear valley lined with precipitous red rock cliffs. The town is an oasis surrounded by an extremely rugged and beautiful terrain, with predominantly desert features. Moab is approximately 8 miles away from Arches National Park and 32 miles away from the Islands in the Sky entrance to Canyonlands National Park, making it a major tourist destination. Since 1949 the Moab area has been a popular location for Hollywood movies. In existence for 60 years, the Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission holds the title of the longest running film commission in North America. Right: Moab, Utah, with its commanding red rock formations that lie just outside this popular Western town. Lodging & Dining: The Moab Diner. 189 South Main, Moab, Utah Locals love this diner and so do the visitors to Moab. For breakfast: pancakes, omelettes, french toast, biscuits-n-gravy or a breakfast burrito. For lunch or dinner: kokopelli chicken sandwich or specialty burgers, like a miners mushroom or green chile burger. For dessert: sundaes, banana splits, and ice cream cones. All the fun of an old-fashioned diner in the beautiful setting of Moab. Awards: • Jack Palance won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, doing his infamous one-hand push-ups during his acceptance speech. • Jack Palance won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture. • Billy Crystal was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture–Comedy/Musical. • Billy Crystal won the MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance. • City Slickers won the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Comedy Motion Picture. • City Slickers was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture–Comedy/Musical. Right: Billy Crystal, the man behind the creation of “City Slickers” and “City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold.” Movie Trivia: • The story that Billy Crystal tells along the trail about his “best day” of going to a Yankee game with his father, is a true story from his childhood. He notes at one point that, “I still have the program.” • The horse that Billy Crystal rides in the movie is named Beach Nut and is the same one he rides in City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold (1994). • According to Billy Crystal, when he first came up with the story for City Slickers and the character of Curly, he immediately wrote down Jack Palance’s name as the ideal choice for the role. No other actor was even considered. • Many observers were stunned by Jack Palance’s remark, “I crap bigger than Billy Crystal,” at the 1991 Oscars. Palance was actually repeating a line that his Curly character says to Crystal when they first meet at the riding camp. • As one of the top ten films of the year, City Slickers made $100 million at the box office. • This film sparked an overwhelming interest in dude ranches and tourist cattle drive operations for an extended period after its release. Right: Billy Crystal and Jack Palance are on horseback in a scene from the highly successful 1991 movie, “City Slickers.” Character Quote: “Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’, keep them dogies rollin’, man my ass is swollen, Rawhide! Get ‘em up, move ‘em out, wake ‘em up, get ‘em dressed, get ‘em shaved, comb their hair, Rawhide! Tie me down, tell me lies, pull my hair, smack my thighs, with a big wet strap of Rawhide!” ~Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal)