tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306223274540306366.post7145395843221724195..comments2024-03-26T02:25:20.305-07:00Comments on Iverson Movie Ranch: Charles Bronson in "Bonanza" ... and the "Charles Bronson Hanging Tree"Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306223274540306366.post-29946613892050644392014-09-13T08:35:29.482-07:002014-09-13T08:35:29.482-07:00Hi Mark:
You nailed it — the Molar dodged a bulle...Hi Mark:<br /><br />You nailed it — the Molar dodged a bullet when they put in that driveway. (I like the idea of the rock's having dodged a bullet, since it probably "dodged" hundreds of them during its movie career — even though most of them were blanks.)<br /><br />I can say that when the area caved in to development pressure, they did an OK job with the rocks. By my rough estimate, they probably spared at least three-quarters of the most important movie rocks from destruction. I would have preferred that they spared ALL of them — and especially wish they would have avoided putting them in people's back yards. But what's done is done, and I think now the point is to ensure that no additional movie rocks get destroyed going forward.<br /><br />It's interesting that you mentioned the idea of blasting off a portion of the Molar to make way for the driveway, because that's exactly what happened at the house next door to this one, on the east side. You probably already know this, but for the benefit of newer readers, that house next door has a main driveway that runs between two heavily fimed rock features. You can see it in this post from 2011, about "Panic in Year Zero":<br /><br />http://iversonmovieranch.blogspot.com/2011/10/panic-in-year-zero-iverson-as-refuge.html<br /><br />If you go to that post and scroll down to the seventh, eighth and ninth photos (counting the poster), you'll see the family travel trailer squeezing between two rocks (I call the one on the left Lobsterclaw). The trailer is driving into what remains a driveway today. The second of the three shots gives a good look at the "duckbill" on the rock on the right. That duckbill was destroyed to give the house a wider driveway. The third of those three shots shows the rock as it appears today, next to the driveway. I still have to go back and get a shot of it from a different angle to show the part where the duckbill was removed.<br /><br />Based on the site's track record of preserving movie trees, there is indeed hope. I think trees have historically had a stronger "lobbying effort" than rocks, as a number of environmental groups pay attention to trees but haven't yet acknowledged the existence of rocks. I suppose rocks seem tough enough to defend themselves, but really they're no match for explosives and heavy equipment.<br /><br />I've mentioned before — and probably even used the same pun — that trees are still a relatively new "branch" of the research. But I've been encouraged by what I've found so far. I've searched mainly for three movie trees, and found them all. Besides the Charles Bronson Hanging Tree, I've blogged before about Bear Tree and the Forsythe Oak. You can find all of them in the long index ("labels") at the right of the page.<br /><br />In the process, I did discover that a number of trees have gone away. The ratio may end up being about the same as with the rocks, with about three-quarters of the trees surviving. But it's too early to come up with an accurate number. I do have another really interesting movie tree that I'm trying to find, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.<br /><br />Figuring out what has survived and what has been destroyed, whether it's rocks or trees, is one of the things that makes Iverson research as exciting as it is, because it could always go either way.<br /><br />Thanks for your comments!<br /><br />-SNSwami Nanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12917532765036907178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306223274540306366.post-44097315204254913492014-09-12T20:24:49.251-07:002014-09-12T20:24:49.251-07:00And they enough sense not to saw down the hanging ...And they enough sense not to saw down the hanging tree. There is hope.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391681643834082097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306223274540306366.post-12756420639949012972014-09-12T18:44:29.709-07:002014-09-12T18:44:29.709-07:00One thing that I think is really cool and that'...One thing that I think is really cool and that's that they didn't blast off a portion molar to make way for the circle drive. For that I give them a thumbs up. Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391681643834082097noreply@blogger.com