The Loft Cinema will present a free outdoor screening of βThree Amigosβ on Saturday, Aug. 25, at Old Tucson Studios, where the movie was filmed.
Why now, you ask?
First and foremost as a celebration of Tucsonβs birthday. The Old Pueblo turned 243 on Monday, Aug. 20.
We also happen to have two of the stars of that 1986 movie, largely filmed at Old Tucson Studios, in town Sunday, Aug. 26, for a comedy show at Tucson Arena.
Steve Martin and Martin Short bring βAn Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Lifeβ to Tucson. The show is part variety, part music and a whole lot of comedy, they said during a joint phone interview with the Star last week.
Neither was expected to attend Saturdayβs screening, but both were kind of surprised and thrilled that the movie that gave birth to their friendship in 1985 was being feted as part of the cityβs birthday festivities.
The pair, whoβve both been back to Tucson since the filming β Martin most recently when he brought his bluegrass banjo show to Fox Tucson Theatre in 2011 and Short back in 2008 with his one-man show at Centennial Hall β recalled their impressions of Tucson during the filming.
βI remember Chevy, Marty and me driving every morning. I canβt remember the name of the hotel. It was a very nice, spa-type hotel,β Martin, 73, said.
βVentana,β Short, 68, reminded him.
βYeah, Ventana. We would drive in this beautiful weather to this location. It was just so much fun,β Martin said.
Short, Martin and Chevy Chase were the three amigos. Short said he was the third amigo signed on to do the film.
βWe call that the last amigo hired,β Martin quipped.
βLast amigo, chief amigo. Terms are terms,β Short shot back.
βThree Amigos,β the John Landis comedy about three fired cowboy actors who unwittingly accept a job to save a Mexican village, came out in late 1986. It is one of 400 movies and commercials filmed at Old Tucson.
Saturdayβs free outdoor screening starts at 7:30 p.m. Gates at Old Tucson Studios, 201 S. Kinney Road, open at 6:30.
(Read the full interview with Martin and Short in Sundayβs Home + Life section.)
