Domed building from the silent era in the Iverson Gorge, seen in "Noah's Ark" in 1928

"Noah's Ark" (1928) — the Iverson Gorge in Chatsworth, Calif.

A small structure that turns up briefly in the silent feature "Noah's Ark" can be placed in the Upper Gorge on the old Iverson Movie Ranch.

The landmark movie was produced and written by pioneer Hollywood studio mogul Darryl F. Zanuck and directed by Michael Curtiz. Everyone involved would become legendary.

"Noah's Ark" — image of the giant Ark grounded atop the Garden of the Gods

The movie is famous for this shot, which also utilizes rock features on the Iverson Ranch — except that here they're used as part of a special effect.

Rocks that remain in place today pinpoint the location of the domed building, which can be seen in the background at right.

The building is almost hidden behind foliage, carefully placed so as to complement the set.

"Noah's Ark": The domed building

The focus is soft on the print these scren shots came from, but at least the camera moves in for this shot of the building. This is about all we see of it.

"The King of Kings" (Cecil B. DeMille, 1927)

I recently spotted a similar building in DeMille's "The King of Kings," but this one appears to be near the beach — and it's not an exact match for the "Noah's Ark" set.

The "Noah's Ark" set (Joe Iverson collection) — circa 1928

An old Iverson family photo of the "Noah's Ark" set turned up in Joe Iverson's photos. Thanks to this shot we finally get a good look at the old silent movie set.