Inside the Mind-Blowing Secrets Behind the Jaw-Dropping Sets of ‘1923’ That Will Leave You Breathless

Ever wonder what it really takes to make a TV show set so immersive that you swear the cast actually time-traveled? If you’re a Taylor Sheridan fanatic like me, then you already know that the sprawling landscapes and authentic backdrops in his shows don’t just set the scene—they transport you straight into the rugged world of the Dutton family. Now, take that magic, flash it back to the roaring 1920s, sprinkle in some jaw-dropping Montana vistas, and you’ve got the essence of 1923. But here’s the kicker: Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, and the whole stellar cast didn’t hop into a time machine to shoot this masterpiece. Nope, it’s all thanks to the wizardry of production designers Cary White and Lisa Ward, whose meticulous craftsmanship and a pinch of old-school detective work brought this era back to life, frame by frame. Curious how they nailed every tiny detail and what it’s like working alongside Sheridan and these Hollywood heavyweights? Stick around, because it’s a behind-the-scenes ride you don’t wanna miss. LEARN MORE

Any Taylor Sheridan fan knows that the sets in his shows are incredible and do a great job of transporting viewers into the world of the Dutton family. Needless to say, 1923 is no different! Filled with jaw-dropping backdrops containing details of Montana and beyond during the 1920s, it’s almost hard to believe Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren and the rest of the cast didn’t travel back in time to film it. Sadly, though, that didn’t happen. Instead, production designers Cary White and Lisa Ward were in charge of it all, from the sets to the backdrop. And now, they are opening up to Woman’s World about how they did it, and what the cast and Sheridan himself are like off-camera. Read on for more. 

A look inside the ‘1923’ sets 

Throughout 1923, viewers see the Duttons and the rest of the cast go on adventures in places like Montana, Texas, Oklahoma, New York, Illinois and even England. And in true Sheridan fashion, each of those places somehow felt more magical and realistic than the one before it. 

“You’re constantly researching everything. Fortunately, there was a lot of photography in the Old West during that period, so there are pictures that can be found to play a matching game. Basically, you look at the pictures and go, ‘Okay, well, this is what we need to do, it kind of recreates this, and that’s what it’s all about, ’” White said. “We got to explore so many different towns in Oklahoma and Texas, New York, of course, and various towns in Montana. Our team conducted very specific research on each of those places to try to define what they would have felt like and looked like, which helps differentiate them from one another. And then, you really go to town trying to recreate the feeling of each of those places. It was extraordinary.” 

Obviously, as any fan of the Yellowstone universe knows, one of the most beloved sets is the Dutton Yellowstone Ranch, which appears in 1923 and serves as the backdrop for a huge gunfight in the series finale.

“That lodge goes back to 1917, that’s when it was built. And back in those days in Montana, they had a lot of logs. I mean, you look at some of the monumental log structures, like the Old Faithful Lodge, they are amazing places, because they’re huge and are all built out of logs,” White said. “I thought we were only going to have to do a facade, but when you do all four sides, I’m not sure it’s really a facade anymore. We did the exterior and then we had to do the interior, which is a huge, great room. And so they’re amazing things to have a part of.” 

White’s counterpart, Ward, added onto that, saying that the ranch was “probably one of the most rewarding sets.” 

“The interior great room and building the exterior are two separate sets in two different places, so it was really an incredible experience to get to build those, because the architecture itself is so fascinating,” she said. “They’re very large sets. Being able to build something that large and then put the amount of craft and detail into it that we achieved was very rewarding. There wasn’t a second that I didn’t find myself looking at those sets, especially with Cary and some of the other art directors and people who helped actually build them. There was such a feeling of pride amongst everyone who was involved in those. They definitely feel like sets of a lifetime.” 

Despite the love for the Dutton Ranch, though, Ward and White did share that it wasn’t their favorite set. 

According to Ward, “The Grand Central set [that Julia Schlaepfer goes to as Alexandria Dutton] would definitely be one of my favorite children, because we were able to achieve a level of detail on that that still blows my mind. There was a huge amount of care that went into recreating the materials, down to the Mississippi pink marble on the floor. And the culmination of all of that, having lived in New York and knowing that space pretty well, I was really happy with how that came out and how it looked on camera.”

White’s however is “the Galveston (Texas) stuff. I live in Galveston, and I got to sleep in my own bed when we were shooting that, and it was great. The Galveston Hotel underneath Murdoch’s is my favorite place on the beach.” 

The ‘1923’ production designers share some behind-the-scenes secrets 

Sheridan might live a private life, but that doesn’t mean the people working on the show can’t sing his praises. 

“Taylor’s favorite show in the world is Lonesome Dove, which I happen to have designed many years ago. So that’s how I kind of got involved with him,” White said. “He called me and I was living in Mexico and retired, and he said, ‘Well, how retired are you?’ I said, ‘Well, I guess I’m not that retired.’ So, I went to work on Yellowstone and it was just a really amazing experience with that guy. He’s such a talented person, and he doesn’t write easy scenes, that’s for sure. Every scene he writes, I read it and go, ‘Golly, Taylor.’” 

Ward added onto that, noting “Taylor’s very much present. Obviously it’s his vision, and he’s the one who’s told the story. We’re constantly in collaboration with him in the sense of trying to bring to life this epic journey that he’s imagined.” 

Along with Sheridan, the show also has powerhouse Hollywood stars like Ford and Mirren, who Ward says are “both just such lovely people, and they bring such great energy, humor and intelligence to the set. They rounded out each of their characters with such skill and I think they added so much to the show. It’s truly incredible to work with people who are such masters at their craft.” 

For Ward, meeting those two gave her “bragging rights,” which was so exciting to her because she said she’s “admired those people for forever.” 

You can stream Seasons 1 and 1 of 1923 on Paramount+.