Why we love old movie locations — especially the Iverson Movie Ranch

For an introduction to this blog and to the growing interest in historic filming locations such as the Iverson Movie Ranch — the most widely filmed outdoor location in movie and TV history — please read the site's introductory post, found here.
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Friday, May 2, 2014

Lee Van Cleef and Jim Davis in the Eucalyptus Grove

Lee Van Cleef in "Last Stagecoach West" (1957) 

Lee Van Cleef was in so many Westerns it makes my head spin. And if the old Westerns had an actor who just LOOKED like trouble, whether he was or not (and usually, he was), I can't think of anyone who fits that description better than Lee Van Cleef. In the above screen shot from the Republic B-Western "Last Stagecoach West," a young-ish Van Cleef — he would have been about 32 at the time — is seen in the Eucalyptus Grove on the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, Calif.

Lee Van Cleef, left, and Jim Davis in "Last Stagecoach West"

The weaselous Margolies, played by Van Cleef, postures in the Grove with the movie's hero, Bill Cameron, played by Jim Davis. Notice the eucalyptus trees in the background, part of Iverson's famed Grove area, along with the corral fencing, which was pretty elaborate during filming for this movie.

Jim Davis in the Iverson Grove, still chatting it out with Van Cleef. 
That's the Grove Relay Station behind him.

Both Van Cleef and Davis went on to bigger and better things. Van Cleef stepped up to the A-Westerns, including a tour de force performance as Angel Eyes — aka "The Bad" — in the masterpiece "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (1966), also starring Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach ("The Good" and "The Ugly," respectively). Davis became, among other things, Jock Ewing, patriarch of the Ewing Oil clan on the TV show "Dallas."

1 comment:

Zabo said...

Lee Van Cleef was awesome. A few dollars more when he and Clint Eastwood teamed up was western film heaven. Thanks for doing all of this. I'm sure it takes many hours of work to had put all of this together. So there's that and I find myself when watching the Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Wanted Dead or Alive shows,and just about any old movie with a gun or a horse in it to see if I can recognize the hills or rocks in this webpage. And for that I'd like to tip my hat to you and the people who have helped you. Thanks