James Coburn roams the Iverson Ranch on "Bonanza"

"Bonanza" episode "The Long Night" (May 6, 1962): James Coburn at Overhang Rock

Even as the Iverson Movie Ranch was beginning to wind down operations in the 1960s, one major TV show that continued to bring its location business to the ranch was "Bonanza."

James Coburn on the Lower Iverson in "Bonanza"

In March 1962, when James Coburn arrived at Iverson to shoot the season three episode "The Long Night," "Bonanza" was still filming regularly on both the Lower Iverson and the Upper Iverson.

One of the rocks Coburn rides past during this sequence — noted here with a red arrow — is pretty interesting. This rock wasn't seen all that often in productions, even though it was located in a relatively prominent spot.

The rock was big enough to tower over a horse and rider, and had an unusual shape to it. I've taken to calling it "Headstone Rock" because ... well, for obvious reasons, I suppose.

These shots are taken in the "Batman Corner" area of the Lower Iverson, some of which remains intact today alongside Redmesa Road. However, Headstone Rock fell prey to the developers' bulldozers in the 1980s.

Filming Roger Corman's "Deathsport" (1978)

A behind-the-scenes shot that surfaced from filming on the Iverson Ranch for the Roger Corman movie "Deathsport" in 1978 again shows the scale of Headstone Rock, which towers over the people and vehicles.

The rock is so perfectly shaped that I have considered whether it might be fake. However, it has been glimpsed on a few occasions in productions from decades earlier, suggesting it was real.

Sticky Bun as it appears today, behind the condos

Sticky Bun is still easy to spot on a visit to the Chatsworth, Calif., site, and can be seen even without getting out of the car as one drives along Redmesa Road, north of Santa Susana Pass Road.

Surviving fragments of Rock Island, just off Redmesa Road

Rock Island is still intact too — in a way. The rocks remain in place but were largely buried during grading for the Cal West Townhomes. I talked about this in detail in a previous post that you can see by clicking here.

The rock James Coburn is leaning on in this shot is familiar to film historians and Iverson Ranch enthusiasts, who know it as Overhang Rock. Sadly, this rock also did not survive the development of the Cal West Townhomes.

"Wyoming Roundup" (1952): Overhang Rock, on the Lower Iverson

Here's a nice shot of Overhang Rock about a decade earlier, from the Whip Wilson B-Western "Wyoming Roundup." This shot reveals the overhanging ledge that gave the rock its name.

This is where James Coburn stood, more or less, as he leaned against the rock in "Bonanza," although he was a bit more behind the rock than my rough outline suggests. He was facing toward the right of the frame.

"Colorado Ambush" (1951): Johnny Mack Brown at Overhang Rock

Johnny Mack Brown peeked out from behind the same rock — but the other end of it — in the Monogram B-Western "Colorado Ambush."

Johnny was lurking under the overhanging part of the rock — you can see a little bit of the overhang here.

"The Oklahoma Kid": James Cagney, with Overhang Rock and Cagney Rock

Another famous actor who stood in the shade of Overhang Rock was James Cagney, who posed beneath the rock in a well-known promo still for "The Oklahoma Kid" in 1939.

Even though Overhang Rock itself is long gone, the rock seen behind Cagney, "Cagney Rock," remains in place as part of the landscaping for the Cal West Townhomes. You can read more about it by clicking here.

"Bonanza": James Coburn in what is now the condos

So many rocks, so little time. In another shot from the "Bonanza" episode, Coburn, playing an escaped convict, puts his leg up on a rock in an attempt to break his prison chains. I have yet to identify this particular rock.

Adam scampers past Cleft Rock in "The Long Night"

The "Bonanza" episode contains tons of great rocks — and as I like to point out, when we're talking about the giant sandstone boulders of the Iverson Ranch, we can use the word "tons" literally.

Cleft Rock, seen here, can still be found at the site, a short distance north of the main Garden of the Gods rock towers, on land that has been preserved as a park. Many of the other rocks in this shot have been destroyed.

One of my favorite shots in the "Bonanza" episode is this one showing a mysterious road that remains in place at the site, not far from Cleft Rock. I call it the Cobblestone Road, although it doesn't meet the technical definition.

I've been trying to learn the origins of the Cobblestone Road for years, without any luck. The "Bonanza" episode marks the first time I've seen it this clearly in any production, but my hunch is it dates back to the '20s or '30s.

The Cobblestone Road in modern times

This photo from 2009 shows what the Cobblestone Road looks like today. It's not nearly as fully formed as it was during the "Bonanza" shoot more than a half-century ago, but that's it in the lower left corner of the frame.

How to find Cleft Rock and the Cobblestone Road

Here's a map to some of the features mentioned above. Start by finding Redmesa Road in Chatsworth. Park below the condos, then follow the map. (You may want to click on the map to see a larger version.)

Donald "Red" Barry's wonder horse Banner hides in the bushes near a rock with an L-shaped crack

L-R: Wild Bill Elliott, Bob Livingston, Don Barry, Roy Rogers,

Allan "Rocky" Lane, Sunset Carson

Donald "Red" Barry may have been one of the shortest cowboy heroes of the B-Western era, but I also think he may have been the best actor in the bunch.

"Ghost Valley Raiders" (Republic, 1940): Lobby card shot at Iverson's Grove Cabin

Barry shot most of his Republic pictures on the Iverson Ranch, and they're some of the best showcases for the ranch if you can find them. I recently scanned "Ghost Valley Raiders" and it's a rocktacular — I want to thank Western movie location historian Tinsley Yarbrough for pointing me to the movie.

Donald Barry and "Banner" at the Grove Cabin on the Lower Iverson

Barry rode a cool movie horse in the 1940s — Banner. The word is that Banner, a big bay, later did movie work with John Wayne, Rocky Lane and Andy Devine. Ouch!

Donald Barry and Banner in "Ghost Valley Raiders"

Banner was presented as one of those super-smart movie horses, and in "Ghost Valley Raiders" he was given a number of "wonder horse"-type stunts to do to help Barry fight bad guys.

Banner hides in the bushes — positioned conveniently next to a distinctive rock

In one of those stunts, all Banner had to do was go hide in the bushes. As it turns out, he hid right next to a rock with a distinctive curved, or L-shaped, crack running through it.

I was able to find that same rock on a recent visit to the former movie ranch.

The rock is kind of hidden among the condos just east of Redmesa Road.

"The Roy Rogers Show" (1957): Roy and Trigger at the L-shaped crack

Banner wasn't the only famous movie horse to be filmed at the L-shaped crack. In this shot from an episode of "The Roy Rogers Show," Roy works with Trigger near the same cracked rock.

The shot comes from the episode "End of the Trail," which premiered Jan. 27, 1957, during the show's sixth and final season. The episode would have been filmed in 1956.

This Google aerial shows where the cracked rock can be found. It's in a private community, but in my experience the residents have been cool about visitors who are there for thoughtful rock gawking.

The "Hangman's Tree" on the Lower Iverson ("Ghost Valley Raiders")

The cracked rock sequence in "Ghost Valley Raiders" also features the so-called "Hangman's Tree," which was located nearby but did not survive condo development. Click here to read a detailed post about the tree.

Another view of the Hangman's Tree in "Ghost Valley Raiders"

Oddly enough, no one seems to recall an instance where the "Hangman's Tree" was used for a hanging. If you know of one, I'd like to hear about it. Please comment or send a note.