BY ISAIAH FRIZZELL
The Color of A Shining Snow Crystal
You might be old school Ketchum if you remember that Sun Valley Resort played a special role in World War II. No, there were no battles, peace be upon us, Sun Valley actually closed on December 20, 1942, as a ski resort, to accommodate the U.S. Navy for four years as a convalescent hospital. The slopes provided therapy and training ground for the troops while recreationalists had to seek elsewhere for their cold weather cavorting.
The story is, of course, tied to Hollywood, the railroad, European skiing aesthetics and good old-fashioned community chutzpah. When it’s time to stand tall, Sun Valley pulled together a Christmas miracle to help the country and set the standard for American innovation.
Where the Railroad Ends
Sun Valley residents, is the name Averell Harriman in your Rolodex? What’s a Rolodex? It’s not a decentralized cryptocurrency exchange, yet — it used to be an everyday tool for people to keep contacts, like the ones in your phone, on cards you could roll through to find a match… no swiping! And Averell Harriman could be considered the ultimate grandfather of Sun Valley, so perhaps “skål” to his name the next time you quaff a coffee before your daily commute.
“Sun Valley was the vision and creation of one man, Averell Harriman, son of wealthy railroad tycoon E.E. Harriman, who restored the Union Pacific Railroad after a group he led brought it out of bankruptcy in 1897. Averell became chairman of the board of Union Pacific in 1932 and had to face challenges caused by the Great Depression, which decimated railroad passenger travel.” (Skiing Sun Valley: A History from Union Pacific to the Holdings)
Sun Valley was thought to life as a destination for railway passengers to increase revenue, specifically in the winter. Averell admits it ran at a deficit but his plan worked “… we didn’t run it to make money, we ran it to be a perfect place and the publicity I brought it was worth very much more than the deficit” Averell proclaimed to his biographer in the book, Skiing Sun Valley: A History from Union Pacific to the Holdings, by John W. Lundin.
Silver Screen Skiing
Remember, skiing used to be an even more extreme sport. There were no lifts or extensively trained EMTs to provide psychological pampering. Ski junkies had to scale summits on foot or with snowshoes to find untouched and unscouted runs of powder. There was a very big element of risk. This all changed in the 1930s as European skiing instructors and techniques flooded America with Old World flair — glamorizing a daring new ‘elite’ sport.
As the sport evolved, it became ever more expensive to pursue. One needed travel, lodging, gear, lessons and, of course, the requisite money and time. This all began to snowball into an industry serving the well-to-do. There would be a need for socializing and temples suited for it.
“Sun Valley accommodated quickly to all of its new guests, even installing a ballroom for all of the elite visitors to enjoy and socialize. Sun Valley also attracted European skiers who came to be instructors to America’s movie stars and upper class. These European instructors were in high demand, especially amongst the women who were not only drawn to their skills but also their looks.” (scholarblogs.emory.ed)
What more elite publicity than Hollywood to glamorize and enthrall a nation on the rise?
Enter David Selznick
David Selznick was one of Harriman’s personal friends. “In a telegram, Harriman quoted Selznick as saying, “Think I can get Sun Valley away to excellent start in Hollywood… I could turn my publicity department loose and really get some free space for Sun Valley… I can’t think of any better opportunity to get the place quickly established with Hollywood people.” (ariiigoldstein.medium.com)
“A $1.5 million investment opened Sun Valley in December 1936 with a lavish lodge, luxury shopping, Austrian ski instructors and extensive backcountry skiing. Prestigious tournaments featured the world’s best skiers. Chairlifts invented by Union Pacific engineers serviced skiers quickly and comfortably. Ski instructor and filmmaker Otto Lang recalled that, seemingly overnight, it became “a magnet for the ‘beautiful people,’ a meeting place for movie stars and moguls, chairmen and captains of industry, Greek shipping tycoons, and peripatetic playboys-—and playgirls-—of the international social set.” (Skiing Sun Valley: A History from Union Pacific to the Holdings).
Through Harriman’s connections and Sun Valley’s own publicist, Steve Hannagan, Sun Valley Resort achieved the “It” factor.
Life magazine gave it an eight-page spread — slickly produced movies, Hollywood celebrities and even Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal exploded the winter recreational lifestyle. Skiing legend Dick Durrance, “a three-time winner of the Harriman Cup in Sun Valley… helped cut the original trails on Bald Mountain in the summer of 1939… In 1940 he worked as a publicity photographer for Sun Valley. He was named to the 1940 Olympic team, but those games were canceled due to World War II.” (aspenhalloffame.org)
World War II
And so we arrive — a country quickly making a comeback from the Great Depression, and struggling to steer clear of International affairs found itself in a position to help. The war waging across Earth was taking a toll.
“On December 20, 1942, the Sun Valley Company canceled a record number of ski reservations and transformed itself into a U.S. Navy convalescent hospital for treatment of wartime wounds, illnesses, and battle fatigue (now known as post-traumatic stress disorder). What had been promoted as a healthful resort was easily adapted as a hospital. Not only did the dry mountain air help treat malaria, the hot sulfur pools aided in the healing and soothing of painful injuries and illnesses. The quiet and serene mountain setting calmed the nerves of mental patients who made up nearly half the hospital’s population. For morale, the Navy entertained the troops by making good use of the resort’s ice rink, pool, and movie theater. A different movie was shown nightly and iconic movie stars visited the troops in 1944.” (sah-archipedia.org)
Sun Valley Resort did its part. After a run as a hospital, the resort resumed operations, at a loss, in 1946. The celebrity sheen still spraying sibilance from the runs, Harriman sold Sun Valley Resort to ex-Olympic skier Bill Janss from Los Angeles. Janss’ ideas and real estate mind expanded the resort — doubling runs, building out condos and homes, he was instrumental in further expanding Ketchum, as well.
Sun Valley’s location and community have innovated and been dominant in a litany of core American achievements from mining to movies — chairlifts, ski schools, groomed runs and feature-length ski movies, filmed on location, were trendsetting firsts.
What Should We Watch Tonight?
A convenient list of some of the 20-plus movies filmed in Sun Valley, beginning with the first feature-length ski film, stand the test of time and serve to remind you of old school Ketchum and the magnificent history of Sun Valley:
* “Sun Valley Serenade” (1940)
* “I Met Him In Paris” (1937)
* “A Woman’s Face” (1941)
* “Duchess of Idaho” (1950)
* “Bus Stop” (1956)
* “Hit the Ice” (1943)
* “Ski Party” (1965)
* “Pale Rider” (1985)
* “Town and Country” (2001)