Skip to main content
Intellect

John Wayne's "The Comancheros" at BYU film series Nov. 17

The Brigham Young University Motion Picture Archive Film Series will screen the 1961 John Wayne Western "The Comancheros" in the Harold B. Lee Library Auditorium Friday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.

Admission will be free, but seating is limited. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Adults and children 8 years old and older are welcome.

James D'Arc, curator of the Motion Picture Archive, will introduce the film and discuss the Utah locations used during the filming of the movie.

"Movie Westerns derive so much of their epic qualities from their locations," D'Arc said. "'The 'Comancheros' was photographed almost entirely in the scenic area along the Colorado River just north of Moab, Utah, although the film is supposed to be in Texas."

The movie was the last film made by legendary director Michael Curtiz, whose film credits include "Casablanca" and "The Adventures of Robin Hood." Many sequences were also filmed by Wayne himself, as Curtiz was ill during much of the production.

"The Comancheros" co-stars Stuart Whitman, who plays an outlaw gambler arrested by Texas Ranger Wayne. The two team up to infiltrate the Comancheros, a group of gunrunners spearheaded by Nehemiah Persoff.

The BYU Motion Picture Archive Film Series is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Harold B. Lee Library and Dennis and Linda Gibson. The films shown in the series are part of the permanent collection in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections.

A complete schedule of the series can be viewed online by visiting sc.lib.byu.edu. For more information, contact James D'Arc at (801) 422-6371.

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

Photographic memory: BYU boasts nation's top student photographer for third year in a row

August 05, 2025
One of BYU’s very own is the best student photographer in all the land. Information systems student Matthew Norton was just named the Student Photographer of the Year by the University Photographer’s Association of America.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Forum: Faith and flourishing in your life and work

July 29, 2025
Paul Lambert, the religion initiative director at the Wheatley Institute, shared in a BYU forum address how faith in Jesus Christ is more than just a personal foundation. It’s also a powerful force for good in the world around us.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

From Campus to Kayaks: BYU students teach local school children about Utah wetlands

July 28, 2025
Recognizing the wetland treasure of the Provo River Delta and hoping to share it with the rising generation, recent BYU graduate Josh Hammari developed a two-day camp to inspire wonder and environmental stewardship in 8-12 year olds.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=