Park City in the 1960s was a town in transition. As the mining industry was no longer profitable enough to support the dying town, developers and residents turned to the burgeoning ski industry. The newly-built Treasure Mountains ski resort was twice chosen as a backdrop for a segment of the musical variety show Where the Action Is, which featured a variety of performers such as Aretha Franklin, The Who, and James Brown.
The show was produced by Dick Clark and aired on ABC from the spring of 1965 until 1967 and was described by the Park Record at the time as a “summer show for teen-agers.” Short musical performances would be filmed across the country and ski resorts were a popular filming location in the winter time.
Performing at Treasure Mountains was the band Paul Revere and the Raiders, who served as the Where the Action Is house band, performing nearly every episode. This exposure helped band leader Mark Lindsay become a teen idol, admired for his lean figure and good looks. The group would often dress in colorful and outrageous historical costumes, playing off the name of member Paul Revere, namesake of the famous night rider who warned American revolutionaries that “the Redcoats are coming.”
Credit: Park City Historical Society and Museum, Marian Dearden McGuire Collection
The Park Record reported in both December 1965 and January 1967 that Park City High School students were excused from school to be an audience for the filming. It was even reported that students were able to participate in the making of the show at Treasure Mountains. It certainly must have been an exciting day for students to take a break from their studies and watch live performances and a popular musical program being filmed in their home town.
Credit: Park City Historical Society and Museum, Marian Dearden McGuire Collection
After Where the Action Is ended in the spring of 1967, Dick Clark went on to produce similar music shows with Happening ’68 and It’s Happening which also featured Paul Revere and the Raiders. The band is still together, and performed here in Park City only a few years ago at the Egyptian Theatre. Though band leader Paul Revere passed away in 2014, his son continues to front the band, known for their energetic and fun performances.