RIDERS OF THE RAINBOW ROCKS

Year Published: 1945

Format: 16mm

Description: This 1945 color travelogue Riders of the Rainbow Rocks about Bryce and Zion National Parks as mostly seen from horseback is presented by Bell & Howell as part of its Filmosound Library Series "Our Colorful World." The narration is in the form of cue cards on a cloth background. It begins in southern Utah. A 1940s car crosses a bridge on a dusty road to Cedar Breaks National Monument. A man walks out to the edge of a rock with the canyon below (:39-1:12). The towering Red Canyon rocks are shown (1:15-1:25). The car drives through an arch cut through the rocks (1:26-1:32). At Bryce Canyon, a young boy wearing suspenders and a cowboy hat points to the distance (1:33-1:44). The pinnacles rise like fingers or the tops of castle towers (1:57-2:25). Named rock formations shown include Cleopatra’s Needle (2:32), Queen Victoria (2:39), and Victorian Arch (2:54). The boy gets on his horse. A close-up is shown of his boot with a spur (3:06-3:14). A woman on a Pinto horse has it rise up on its hind legs (3:15-3:28). A group on horseback ride on a winding path at the base of the canyon 3:29-3:57). They ride past Thor’s Hammer (4:02) and continue down the winding path (4:05-4:37) to Wall of Winds (4:41), Oastler’s Castle (5:05), and Tower Bridge in Fairyland (5:17). The bus leaves Bryce Lodge for Zion National Park (5:39-5:50) and passes through the mile-long tunnel (6:02). The bus passes Angels Landing (6:22) and The Watchman (6:31) on its way to Zion Lodge nestled beneath Lady Mountain (6:41-6:52). The guide sports a bushy white mustache and wears a cowboy hat and chaps as he stands next to horse (6:56-7:03). The riders move downhill through green grass and trees (7:04-7:12). They ride up the canyon wall via the West Rim Trail. In some spots the trail is next to a sheer drop-off (7:16-8:52). The rider’s take a break. A campfire blazes and a man makes coffee while a squirrel in a tree watches. It sniffs the lunch of a woman. A baby chipmunk climbs up her arm (8:03-8:50). The group walks their horses back down the trail (9:03-9:12). The switchbacks are named Walter’s Wiggles and shown from a distance to see their serpent-like twists and turns (9:13-9:39). The Great White Throne, nearly 3,000 feet high, is panned from the bottom up (9:43-9:55). The riders continue on the red rocks of the switchback trail (9:56-10:06). They pass long waterfalls and rapids in a stream (10:07-10:21). Back in the valley, the riders walk their horses down the middle of a stream (10:22-10:45).

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