The Iverson Movie Ranch Western street, one building at a time ... Part VII: The Sheriff's Office

"The Hills of Utah" (1951): The Sheriff's Office

This small, square structure on the east side of the Iverson Movie Ranch Western street, seen here in the Gene Autry B-Western "The Hills of Utah," was all about law enforcement, typically appearing in movies and on TV as a Sheriff's Office or County Jail.

"Night Raiders" (1952)

Whip Wilson holds court outside the Bitter Springs County Jail in the Monogram Western "Night Raiders." Once again playing a law enforcement role is the Iverson Movie Ranch's Sheriff's Office.

This shot of Fuzzy Knight outside the building in "Night Raiders" gives the impression that it's evening, but the shadow of the west-facing building hints that it would have been filmed in the morning.

"The Caravan Trail" (1946) — Lash LaRue, left, and Eddie Dean

Lash LaRue and Eddie Dean collaborate in the PRC B-Western "The Caravan Trail" while the Sheriff's Office, in the background, makes one of its earliest color appearances.

"Oklahoma Justice" (1952)

The sign over the door reads "Sheriff's Office" in the Johnny Mack Brown B-Western "Oklahoma Justice," from Monogram. The movie was filmed by master B-movie cinematographer Ernest Miller, who was behind the camera on some of the greatest Iverson Movie Ranch showcases.

"El Paso" (Paramount, 1949)

The Sheriff's Office did assume other roles from time to time, including appearing as "Joe's Cafe" in the Western "El Paso." That's the Sheriff's Office on the left, lined up next to the two distinctive two-story facades that marked the east side of the street. Another name for the Iverson Western street is El Paso Street.

"The Range Rider" (1953)

The Sheriff's Office made a number of appearances in the TV show "The Range Rider." This one comes from the episode "The Black Terror."

"The Cisco Kid" TV series

Another non-law enforcement role came up in the TV show "The Cisco Kid," where the Sheriff's Office plays a mining supply store. The Sheriff's Office can be seen on the left in this behind-the-scenes shot.

"The Lone Ranger" TV series (1954)

The Sheriff's Office wasn't the most interesting building on the Iverson Movie Ranch Western street, but one fun feature it had was this gate area out back that it shared with the Barn. The gate opened into a large corral occupying much of the space to the east of the town set.

This shot comes from an episode of the TV show "The Lone Ranger" called "The Frightened Woman." The episode premiered Sept. 30, 1954, early in season four of the show's five-season run.

"Ghost Town Renegades" (1947)

The gate behind the Sheriff's Office was typically left open, and the gateway at times provided a "window onto the world," looking south and southeast. This shot from the Lash LaRue movie "Ghost Town Renegades" reveals part of the Eucalyptus Grove along with Cooper Rock.

Cooper Rock is named after Gary Cooper, the man responsible for building the town in 1944, for his 1945 Western "Along Came Jones." This shot also highlights the Eucalyptus Grove, or simply "The Grove."

That's Lash LaRue on the right, along with his frequent sidekick Al "Fuzzy" St. John, eyeing the situation in front of Cooper Rock in PRC's "Ghost Town Renegades." You may or may not have noticed that this blog post has now mentioned both of the two main "Fuzzys" of B-Westerns.

"Silver Canyon" (1951)

Here's a shot taken from a similar angle, but from farther back, with the General Store entering the picture on the left. The shot comes from the Gene Autry movie "Silver Canyon."

Cooper Rock can again be seen in the background, with the camera's telephoto effect making it appear larger and closer than it actually is.

"Night Raiders" (1952)

Either that gate was mighty tall, or Whip Wilson was mighty short — a conclusion that's hard to miss based on this shot of Wilson at the gate in "Night Raiders."

"Calamity Jane and the Texan" (1950)

Dominating the frame in this photo from "Calamity Jane and the Texan" is the General Store, on the left. But the shot provides additional context for the gate, which can be seen in the right half of the frame.

The gate was set back from the street as part of a dirt plaza area shared by the General Store, the Barn and the Sheriff's Office. I'm surprised this plaza area didn't get used more than it did, as it would have been a great place to stage a shootout.

"The Iverson Movie Ranch Western street, one building at a time" is a series of posts on the movie and TV history of each of the major structures making up Iverson's town set, which stood from 1944 to 1957 and appeared in hundreds of productions.



To see all of the posts in the series on the Iverson Western street, please click on the following links:

Part I: Casa Grande
Part II: The Livery Stable
Part III: The Saloon
Part IV: The Hotel
Part V: The General Store 
Part VI: The Barn
Part VII: The Sheriff's Office
Part VIII: The North and South Adobes
Part IX: The Lost Dutchman
Part X: The original north end of town
Part XI: The North and South Towers
Part XII: The Harness Maker
Part XIII: Rainbow Mine Co. 
Part XIV: The Church/Schoolhouse  
Part XV: The Corral Rocks Shack
Part XVI: The decline and fall of the Western street

The Iverson Movie Ranch Western street, one building at a time ... Part V: The General Store

"Along Came Jones" (1945): The General Store

The General Store was one of the town's fanciest buildings when the Iverson Western street was new, and the structure received a lot of screen time in its movie debut, in Gary Cooper's "Along Came Jones."

"Along Came Jones" — Gary Cooper at the General Store

Cooper produced and starred in the RKO Western — the lone producer credit on his resume. He had the town set built specially for the movie in late 1944, and in keeping with Iverson Ranch policy, the set remained in place after the production shut down. The Iverson family could then make it available for other productions.

"Along Came Jones"

The Western street stood for the next 13 years, undergoing a number of major renovations and becoming one of the location ranch's most widely filmed sets. The General Store, seen at top center in this screen shot, was filmed from a variety of angles for "Along Came Jones."

"Calamity Jane and the Texan" (1950)

Located at the northeast corner of town, the General Store often served as a stage stop over the years, as it did in the Columbia Western "Calamity Jane and the Texan."

"Calamity Jane and the Texan"

The nearby Sheriff's Office can be seen on the right and a little bit of the Barn is visible near the center of the frame in another shot of the General Store from "Calamity Jane and the Texan."

"Montana Incident" (1952): The General Store, with Pond Rock at left

In the Whip Wilson movie "Montana Incident," we get a high-angle view of the General Store, probably from camera scaffolding set up in the middle of the street. This scene was originally filmed day-for-night, and appears to unintentionally feature a well-lit Pond Rock.

Pond Rock was a fixture of the town set, but usually kept a low profile. Not here.

"Along Came Jones"

Pond Rock appears again in this shot from the town's movie debut. The photo features the front of the General Store and part of the neighborhood to the north. Two rarely seen buildings appear in the shot, along with a portion of Center Rock in the background.

Center Rock, Pond Rock, a small adobe on the far left and an odd-shaped building just north of the General Store are noted here. We'll revisit these buildings later in the series.

"El Paso" (Paramount, 1949)

Even caught in a dust storm in the Western "El Paso," the General Store is distinguished by its pale blue paint job. This is another movie where the building plays a stage depot.

Much of the walkway where Gary Cooper was seen walking in an earlier shot, along the south face of the General Store, was later enclosed, as illustrated by these shots comparing "Along Came Jones" in 1945 and "El Paso" four years later. This section of the previously open walkway remained closed in subsequent productions.

"Check Your Guns" (1948)

After a splashy debut in "Along Came Jones," the look of the storefront was toned down. A shot from the Eddie Dean Western "Check Your Guns" offers a view of the General Store's new "no frills" front deck area.

"Calamity Jane and the Texan" — The General Store, right, and Casa Grande

Once Casa Grande surfaced in 1949, redefining the north end of the Iverson town set, the General Store, on the right, often shared the screen with the new building, seen here in 1950.

"Gold Raiders" (The Three Stooges, 1951)

Long shots of the town looking toward the north typically included a view of the front end of the General Store, which jutted out into the street.

Even at this distance, Pond Rock is visible in its familiar post next to the General Store's front walkway.

"Ghost Town Renegades" (1947)

Like the rest of the town, the General Store had to endure a series of "reverse makeovers" to appear in dilapidated condition as part of a ghost town. For "Ghost Town Renegades," a section of the roof was ripped out.

"Ghost Town Renegades" was a Lash LaRue B-Western from Poverty Row studio Producers Releasing Corp., or PRC, which used the Iverson town set extensively in the 1940s.

The "Ghost Town Renegades" shot tracks the fates of two blacksmith shops at the north end of town. The original Blacksmith Shop, now lying in ruins, was in place when the town was built in late 1944, and was one of the first buildings to be demolished. The temporary Blacksmith Shed would soon follow.

"El Paso" (Paramount, 1949)

The town set cleaned up nicely when it served the purpose of the production. As the vibrant title city in "El Paso," the Western street was a hub of activity.

The General Store all but disappears amid a sea of signs and storefronts, but it's back there at the north end of town doing its part as the Stage Depot.

"Son of Paleface" (1952) — Another role as a ghost town

In another example of "reverse engineering," from the Bob Hope comedy "Son of Paleface," the General Store was again dressed down to appear in rundown condition. Cue the tumbleweeds.

"The Ghost Town" ("Adventures of Rin Tin Tin," premiered April 29, 1955)

The General Store was again in ghost town mode when the "Rin Tin Tin" TV series came to town a few years later. Here we see the famous German shepherd — played by a descendant of the original silent film-era Rin Tin Tin — sniffing out danger on the walkway in front of the boarded-up store.

An unusual element of this shot is the enormous presence of Pond Rock looming at the left of the frame.

Rinty and Rusty, played by Lee Aaker, keep a vigil along the south face of the General Store. This is the portion of the building that was originally an open walkway but by this point had been walled off.

Later in the episode, Rin Tin Tin — reportedly played in the TV series mainly by Rin Tin Tin IV — enjoys a treat on the front deck of the General Store.

"The Iverson Movie Ranch Western street, one building at a time" is a series of posts on the movie and TV history of each of the major structures making up Iverson's town set, which stood from 1944 to 1957 and appeared in hundreds of productions.


To see all of the posts in the series on the Iverson Western street, please click on the following links:

Part I: Casa Grande
Part II: The Livery Stable
Part III: The Saloon
Part IV: The Hotel
Part V: The General Store 
Part VI: The Barn
Part VII: The Sheriff's Office
Part VIII: The North and South Adobes
Part IX: The Lost Dutchman
Part X: The original north end of town
Part XI: The North and South Towers
Part XII: The Harness Maker
Part XIII: Rainbow Mine Co. 
Part XIV: The Church/Schoolhouse  
Part XV: The Corral Rocks Shack
Part XVI: The decline and fall of the Western street

The Iverson Movie Ranch Western street, one building at a time ... Part I: Casa Grande

"El Paso" (1949): Casa Grande, at the north end of Iverson's Western street

Casa Grande was an easy choice to lead off this series on the Iverson Movie Ranch Western street, because it's one of the most interesting and complex buildings in the town set. It wasn't part of the original set when the town was built in 1944, but was added a few years later and quickly became one of the iconic features of the set, occupying a high-profile position at the north end of the street.

"The Lone Ranger" (1949) — an early TV appearance by Casa Grande

This is probably the first appearance by Casa Grande on television, in an episode of the TV series "The Lone Ranger" called "The Renegades," which premiered Nov. 3, 1949. The building looks quite different here from its appearance around the same time in "El Paso," with wider pillars and a smaller roof over the porch area in "The Lone Ranger," along with a different configuration for the second story. But it's the same building in both photos.

In the "Lone Ranger" episode, Casa Grande serves as the base of operations for Father Batista, played by Wheaton Chambers. In this shot from "The Renegades" the Lone Ranger, played by Clayton Moore, confers with Father Batista in front of Casa Grande.

Another screen shot from "The Renegades" showcases one of the more "adobe-looking" corners of Casa Grande. Appearing alongside Father Batista is B-Western veteran Kenneth MacDonald, at right, playing Inspector Williams.

Kenneth MacDonald, left, vs. the Three Stooges

Among MacDonald's more than 400 credits in film and television, he had a recurring role as a sheriff on "The Range Rider" in the early 1950s and took his share of pies to the face as a frequent foil for the Three Stooges in their Columbia shorts of the 1940s.

"Calamity Jane and Sam Bass" (1949): looking north toward Casa Grande

The earliest productions I've been able to find that include Casa Grande are all from 1949, with the building surfacing both in films and on TV that year. The above shot of the Western street comes from the 1949 release "Calamity Jane and Sam Bass," starring Yvonne De Carlo as Calamity and Howard Duff as Sam.

The shot looks north along Iverson's Western street, with Casa Grande spread out across the end of the street. 1949 marks the beginning of what might be considered the peak period for the Iverson Western street, which had recently undergone extensive remodeling on the east side of the street, shown here.

Yvonne De Carlo as Calamity in "Calamity Jane and Sam Bass"

De Carlo is seen in front of Casa Grande in a screen shot from "Calamity Jane and Sam Bass." The building appears in the movie as the Exchange Hotel.

Yvonne De Carlo as Lily Munster

You may remember Yvonne De Carlo as Lily on "The Munsters."

"El Paso" (1949): Iverson Village, aka El Paso Street

Paramount's "El Paso" and Universal's "Calamity Jane and Sam Bass" came out just one month apart, with "Calamity" making it to theaters first. Following the release of "Calamity" on the Fourth of July, 1949, Paramount rolled out "El Paso" on Aug. 5. Both movies were filmed in Cinecolor, and both prominently featured Casa Grande and the Iverson town set.

"El Paso": the Iverson Western street as the town of El Paso, Texas

While the backstory on the construction of Casa Grande is not known, it's a good bet that the structure was built by Paramount for its John Payne-Sterling Hayden Western "El Paso." It comes down to either "El Paso" or "Calamity Jane and Sam Bass," and my money's on the Paramount production, which not only would have had the bigger budget of the two films, but also showcases Casa Grande far more extensively.

"Sky King" TV series (footage from 1955): aerial view of Iverson Village

Some readers may be disappointed to learn that Casa Grande was in reality a false front, as were other parts of the town set. The above aerial view, which comes from remarkable footage shot for the TV show "Sky King" that aired in a number of episodes of the series, exposes Casa Grande from the back, toward the right of the shot.

The "Sky King" shot reveals how Casa Grande was oriented at the northern end of the Western street. The street does not line up perfectly north and south, but "leans" a bit, running southwest to northeast. This bird's-eye view overlooks the layout from the east, and exposes Casa Grande's big secret: While the building may have looked impressive from the front, there wasn't much behind it.

This version of the "Sky King" shot identifies key features of the Western street, along with a cluster of buildings west of the town set, in the dotted green outline, that were left over from the 1937 Shirley Temple movie "Wee Willie Winkie." These old "Wee Willie Winkie" buildings, generally known as the India Fort, were filmed on several occasions in later years, but were used mainly as a fort in the late 1930s and early 1940s. You can read more about this spectacular fort set by clicking here.

"Calamity Jane and the Texan" (1950)

A little more than a year after Universal's release of "Calamity Jane and Sam Bass" came the similarly titled Columbia feature "Calamity Jane and the Texan," which again featured Casa Grande. As it did in "El Paso," Casa Grande again plays a cantina — the Prairie Queen this time, run by Calamity.

If the second story looks familiar, it's the same piece used in "The Lone Ranger," seen in a black-and-white photo near the top of this post. This "bolt-on" second story wound up being redesigned a few times over the years. This version apparently went on after the fancier "El Paso" setup was ditched, and this one didn't remain in use for long.

Almost as soon as it was built, Casa Grande became part of what could be described as a small adobe village at the north end of the town set. In another shot from "Calamity Jane and the Texan," we get a good look at an adobe wall that has been built adjacent to the main structure.

This wider shot from "Calamity Jane and the Texan" shows the bulk of Casa Grande, in the center and right portion of the shot, along with part of the adobe wall, above the horses on the left. Smooth Hill looms in the background.

Here's another angle on Casa Grande from "Calamity Jane and the Texan," with this shot revealing some of the rough texture of the bricks that decorate the building's exterior. In this shot we can also see that the adobe wall on the left juts out from the main structure at an angle.

"Calamity Jane and the Texan" — Evelyn Ankers as Calamity

Originally released under the title "The Texan Meets Calamity Jane," the Columbia picture featured Evelyn Ankers in the role of Calamity. Here Ankers stands at the top of the stairs outside the saloon, near the south end of town.

Ankers continued a tradition of glamorized Hollywood versions of Calamity Jane. In this shot taken on the Upper Iverson, Calamity mourns the death of Wild Bill Hickok, and we see a little bit of veteran character actor Lee "Lasses" White as her friend Colorado Charlie. The scene takes place at the grave of Wild Bill, which I've blogged about before. Please click here for pictures and details about Wild Bill Hickok's gravesite on the Iverson Ranch.

Martha Jane Cannary — the real Calamity Jane

The real Calamity Jane — born Martha Jane Cannary or Canary — may not have looked quite the part of a movie star, but she was a true frontierswoman and a formidable presence in her own right.

"Gold Raiders" (The Three Stooges, 1951)

In the Three Stooges movie "Gold Raiders," Casa Grande resurfaces as "Acme House," and at this point the building has yet another configuration for its second story. This version of the second story is a hybrid — half adobe and half wooden building.

"Flaming Feather" (Paramount, 1952)

Filmed around the same time as "Gold Raiders" but released the following year, Paramount's color production "Flaming Feather" uses much of the same signage seen in the Stooges movie and offers a better look at the "split personality" of Casa Grande's new second story — adobe on the left, wood on the right. This configuration, minus the Acme House sign, would remain in use for much of the rest of the building's lifespan.

"Wagon Team" (Gene Autry, 1952)

In "Wagon Team," released the same year as "Flaming Feather," the building's adobe qualities are brought to the forefront. The second story was still in place, but this sequence shoots around it, focusing on the single-story left half of the building along with the familiar low adobe wall to its left. It's clear in this shot that the adobe wall, which occupies the left portion of the frame, is supposed to look like a building.

"Annie Oakley" TV series (1954): A small adobe village at the north end of the street

This shot from an episode of "Annie Oakley" titled "Justice Guns" shows off the adobe characteristics of that whole north end of the Western street — even without the adobe wall next to Casa Grande being visible in this photo. The "Annie Oakley" episode premiered April 17, 1954.

The main buildings making up the "adobe village" part of Iverson's Western street

Combining with Casa Grande to create the adobe village were a couple of small adobes that had been in place for years on the western side of the street. Here's the "Annie Oakley" shot again with those buildings, the North Adobe and the South Adobe, identified. I will discuss these structures in detail in upcoming entries in this series.

Iverson Village before Casa Grande ... 

 

"Cheyenne Takes Over" (1947)

This is what the north end of town looked like back in 1947, in the Lash LaRue movie "Cheyenne Takes Over," a couple of years before Casa Grande was built. The north end of town was wide open, with Center Rock visible in the background.

Center Rock is identified here, along with Oat Mountain in the distance. Once Casa Grande was in place, Center Rock could no longer be readily seen from the town. Also noted here is Pond Rock, which remained a feature of the town set throughout the set's existence. Pond Rock was typically hidden in the background behind the General Store, which is partially visible here.

"Check Your Guns" (1948): The north end of town

A year or so later, the Eddie Dean movie "Check Your Guns" again featured Iverson Village. This was soon before Casa Grande was built, and the north end of town remained vacant, with a virtually unblocked view of Smooth Hill. 

"The Iverson Movie Ranch Western street, one building at a time" is a series of posts on the movie and TV history of each of the major structures making up Iverson's town set, which stood from 1944 to 1957 and appeared in hundreds of productions.



To see all of the posts in the series on the Iverson Western street, please click on the following links:

Part I: Casa Grande
Part II: The Livery Stable
Part III: The Saloon
Part IV: The Hotel
Part V: The General Store 
Part VI: The Barn
Part VII: The Sheriff's Office
Part VIII: The North and South Adobes
Part IX: The Lost Dutchman
Part X: The original north end of town
Part XI: The North and South Towers
Part XII: The Harness Maker
Part XIII: Rainbow Mine Co. 
Part XIV: The Church/Schoolhouse  
Part XV: The Corral Rocks Shack
Part XVI: The decline and fall of the Western street

For additional material on the Iverson Western street, you can click here to see a previous entry on the north end of town, or here for a post examining the south end of town.