Robert Redford made a difference across the country through his movies and environmental efforts, but a historian says what he left behind in Utah is a legacy unlike any other.
“Robert Redford came and created a renaissance,” said James D’Arc
Over the years, Redford's reputation has only grown and stretches further than Sundance. It goes down through the Provo Canyon and into Orem.
“Robert Redford’s place, not only in Utah’s history but in Utah’s film history, both of them, in fact, even in Utah’s cultural history, is monumental,” said D'Arc, author of "When Hollywood Came to Utah."
Redford's beloved southern Utah often played starring role in movies:
For D’Arc, Redford’s legacy is ingrained in his shelves that hold about 4,000 movie titles. From westerns to dramas, he’s got just about everything. But the Utah films are what make his collection so special.
“Just about any place on earth, a filmmaker can come here to Utah and make a film about it, in addition to the American West," he explained. "In fact, between 1913 and 2025, there have been more than 1,250 feature films, TV movies, and TV series made in the state of Utah.”
D’Arc’s vast film knowledge has led him to all corners of the state with all different actors and directors. But when it comes to history, Robert Redford stands in the front of the line.
“His passing is really mourned, but his legacy remains in the state of Utah because of the love he has for the state," he shared, "the investment he made in the state, and the many motion pictures that he made here and always championing Utah as a movie location."
