Nick C. Hall, "founder" and "mayor" of Old Tucson
According to historian David Leighton, of the
Arizona Daily Star, the person most responsible for the creation of Old Tucson was Nick Hall. Nick C. Hall, a native of Missouri arrived in Tucson in late 1934 to manage the
Santa Rita Hotel, in downtown. He soon recognized the potential his new hometown had to offer the movie producers of Hollywood particularly in the Western genre. He wanted to not only fill guest rooms in his hotel but bring work to the unemployed during the
Great Depression. By 1936, if not earlier, Hall was taking trips to Hollywood in order to entice film companies to make their movies in the Old Pueblo. He convinced production firms like Pickford-Lasky to shoot
The Gay Desperado and M-G-M Pictures to film
Let Freedom Ring (film) in town. His biggest contribution to the Tucson film industry however was connected with the film
Arizona (1940 film) starring
Jean Arthur, based on the novel of the same name by
Clarence Budington Kelland about pioneer Phoebe Titus in Tucson during the U.S. Civil War. In early 1939,
Wesley Ruggles, the director of the film and
Claude Binyon, the script writer both of
Columbia Pictures, came to Tucson to do historical research for the upcoming filming and stayed at his hotel. This was likely when Hall first learned about the future filming of the movie,
Arizona (1940 film) then planned to be made in California and likely when he first suggested filming the movie about Tucson in Tucson itself. After this, Hall worked behind the scenes to carry out his plan to ensure the film was shot in town, which included trips to Hollywood to meet with executives of
Columbia Pictures. By July 1939, his work had paid off and it was announced that the filming would take place in Tucson and the local newspapers gave full credit to Hall for being responsible for this change in venue Hall would assist the production in many ways, from taking care of the cast and crew of the film at his hotel, to chaperoning Columbia crew members to and from the hotel to the future Old Tucson site as it was constructed as a replica of what Tucson looked like in the 1860s, and even acting as public relations person in dealing with the news media. In August 1939, the cast of the film “elected” Hall the mayor of Old Tucson, half in jest and half in seriousness because he had been responsible for bringing the filming of the movie
Arizona (1940 film) to Tucson, which resulted in the construction of the Old Tucson movie set and in appreciation for taking care of the needs of the cast and crew. A couple months later, Arizona Gov.
Robert Taylor Jones proclaimed Hall the honorary mayor of Old Tucson, which at this point was an adobe ghost town since the start of
World War II, had delayed the start of filming. After several months, in April 1940, the cast and crew returned to the Santa Rita Hotel and essentially took it over, setting up production, timekeeping and business offices along with camera dark rooms, cutting rooms and even a projection theater. The same month, at the official dedication of the Old Tucson movie set, Hall as mayor of Old Tucson presented the key to the city to Ruggles. A month later, acting in the same role he presided over the opening of the real but temporary Old Tucson Post Office. After several months of filming it was completed and on Nov. 15, 1940, the world premiere of the movie Arizona occurred in Tucson at four movie houses, Rialto Theatre, State Theatre, Fox Theatre and the Lyric Theatre. Nick C. Hall, still to today is considered the honorary mayor of Old Tucson. Mr Hall will be honored by Old Tucson with the naming of the Nick C. Hall Ramada, an idea originally conceived by historian David Leighton. ==Early history==