J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections
Margie of the Wasatch motion picture
Alta Lodge
A0699
1 16mm film
1940s
The film Margie of the Wasatch (1940s) is an early promotional film for the Utah ski industry. Filmed at Alta Ski Area in Little Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City, the movie uses a narrative about two ski instructors competing for the affection of beautiful ski tourist Margie to showcase the Wasatch Mountains and the lessons, facilities, and services available at the resort. Alta began operations in 1939.
Collection material in English.
During the decline in silver mining in the town of Alta, Utah in the early twentieth century, the United States Forest Service employed world champion skier Alf Engen to invesigate the area as a winter sports site and, on his recommendation, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) planted hunderds of trees to replenish the area's deforested slopes. In 1937 mining deed owners George Watson and William O'Connor eased their tax burden by donating 1600 acres of surface rights to the United States Forest Service for use as a ski area. The ski area opened in 1938, and the Alta Lodge and Collins chairlift began operations in 1939. The 1940s saw the opening of the Rustler (1947) and Peruvian lodges (1948), the origin of the Alta Ski Patrol, the opening of a center for avalanche research, and the training of Company B, 503 Parachute Battalion for service in World War II.
Margie of the Wasatch was filmed during this era of early growth.
The film
Margie of the Wasatch (1940s) is an early promotional film for the Utah ski industry. Filmed at Alta Ski Area in Little Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City, the movie uses a narrative about two ski instructors competing for the affection of beautiful ski tourist Margie to showcase the Wasatch Mountains and the lessons, facilities, and services available at the resort. This film has been digitized and is available to view on DVD.
Audio-visual materials can be fragile and require specialized equipment to play back. For this reason, access to audio-visual materials is provided through digital copies, and it might take longer to provide access to items that are not yet digitized. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law, condition of the material, or by donor.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Margie of the Wasatch motion picture must be obtained from the Special Collections Multimedia Archivist.
Initial Citation: Margie of the Wasatch motion picture A0699. Special Collections and Archives. University of Utah, J. Willard Marriott. Salt Lake City, Utah.
Following Citations:A0699.
Donated by Alta Lodge.
Processed by Molly Creel in 2012.
Forms part of the Ski and Snow Sports Archive.
Engen, Sverre
Utah
Ski resorts--Utah
Social life and customs
Sports and Recreation
Material Types
Moving Images
Moving images
Margie of the Wasatch
1940s
Color, sound
16mm (photographic film size)
1
Beautiful Margie arrives at Alta Lodge for a ski vacation and attracts the attention of Sverre Engen and other ski instructors who show off their skills in the beautiful alpine terrain. Narrative promotional film. 41 minutes.
Okiers of note who appear in the film:
- Sverre Engen (1911-2001), national ski jumping champion, Alta ski school director, Utah ski industry and ski patrol pioneer
- Betty Woolsey (1908-1977), 1936 Olympian and ski journalist
- George Dondero (1913-2013), founder and president of the Oakland Ski Club
- Hugh Bauer, ski racer and jumper, Washington Ski Club
- John Litchfield (1917-2011), co-founder of the Aspen Ski School, member of the 10th Mountain Division, qualified for 1940 Olympics, which were never held
- Wayne Poulsen (1915-1995), California State ski champion in downhill, slalom, jumping, and cross-country, coach of the University of Nevada at Reno ski team
- Fritz Wiessner (1900-1988), famed mountain climbing pioneer and technical advisor to the 10th Mountain Division
- Bill ("Siggy") Farrell, ski racer, Alta Ski Club