Where No Man Has Gone Before — not counting Paul Newman: Here's one more filming location for the original "Star Trek" TV series

"A Private Little War" ("Star Trek," season 2, episode 19; first aired Feb. 2, 1968)

More than a half-century after the original "Star Trek" series was on TV, we've found what could prove to be the Final Frontier when it comes to filming locations for the 1960s sci-fi show.

 

Space — The Final Frontier

We're not talking about "Space — the Final Frontier," as it was described each week in the show's opening credits. We're talking about an obscure movie location in Southern California's Santa Susana Mountains that became one of those "strange worlds" explored by the Starship Enterprise during its three-season mission from 1966-1969.

 

The "Outrage Grotto": "Star Trek's" real Final Frontier?

Known among a handful of film historians as the "Outrage Grotto," this shady hollow was transformed in late 1967 into the Hill People's camp on the planet Neural for the 1968 "Star Trek" episode "A Private Little War."

 

The Outrage Grotto in 2024

Today the Grotto is on private property, and access to the site is restricted. That's one reason it took so long to find what may be the final puzzle piece in the quest to document the original "Star Trek" location shoots.

 

"The Outrage" (MGM, 1964) — filmed in the same location

The name "Outrage Grotto" is an ode to the weird and disturbing 1964 Paul Newman movie "The Outrage," which filmed its weirdest and most disturbing scenes in the same location in late 1963.

 

Paul Newman, Claire Bloom and Laurence Harvey in "The Outrage"

This was about four years before the "Star Trek" crew would set up shop in the Grotto. The Santa Susanas back then were headquarters for a number of movie ranches, but the Outrage Grotto, while technically on property once owned by a filming operation, was filmed only a handful of times.

 

The Hill People's camp on Neural

The place has changed a lot in the six decades since "The Outrage" and "Star Trek" were here on location, but the trees and rocks still hold plenty of clues — more than enough to confirm that it's the right location.

 

Deep in the Grotto, a two-trunked tree

Similarities among some of the "then" and "now" shots may already be revealing themselves. For example, take a look at this two-trunked tree, which survives today in the Grotto.

 

"Star Trek" tree has a familiar shape to it

We're almost certain that this is the same tree, although trees can fool us as they age. It also deserves mention that the location includes multiple V-shaped trees, something we'll delve into in more detail below.

 

William Shatner, left, in "The Outrage," with Howard Da Silva and Edward G. Robinson

Besides the unusual location, "The Outrage" and "A Private Little War" have something else in common: William Shatner appears in both productions. A few years before he became "Star Trek's" Captain Kirk, he played a preacher in "The Outrage."

 

"A Private Little War": Shatner returns to the Outrage Grotto as Captain Kirk

Shatner's work in "The Outrage" may or may not have figured into "Star Trek's" decision to shoot in the obscure Grotto four years later, but it seems unlikely that it's just a coincidence.

 

Shatner in the Grotto — with rocks and other features identified

Let's match up some landmarks to make sure we're in the right spot. In addition to the tree and the "jagged rocks" noted above, pay attention to the rocks labeled A through G.

 

The same spot in 2024, with multiple features confirming the location

The Grotto remains largely intact today, even though it has undergone more than its share of changes over the years. All of the features noted in the "Star Trek" screen shot can still be found at the site.

 

Everything is still there

Here's the same 2024 shot without all the labels, so you can get a better look at the features.

 

William Shatner and Nancy Kovack at the waterfall

Additional clues can be found throughout the Grotto, and throughout "A Private Little War." This scene from the episode finds Kirk being enticed by the seductress Nona in front of a rock wall and a small waterfall.

 

The waterfall location in 2024

We snapped this shot of the waterfall area on a research expedition to the filming location, and we noticed two rectangular indentations in the rock, visible near the center of the photo.

 

Rectangular indentations in the waterfall rock

These identifying markings in the rock may be manmade, and may have a connection to earlier filming at the site, but they do not appear to play an intended role in the "Star Trek" shoot.

 

The same rectangular indentations in "A Private Little War"

However, these same indentations can be seen in the "Star Trek" shot. They're harder to detect here, but they are definitely present, and they help pinpoint the location.

 

Identifying features on the rock wall

Other markers can also be identified in the screen shot, and these also match up with recent photos.

 

We're in the right place

The same features noted in the "Star Trek" screen shot can still be found on the rock wall.

 

The Mugato pops in, bent on ruining the party — which is a shame since it has its party hat on

Other rocks in and around the Grotto frame additional "Star Trek" scenes. The location where the ape-like Mugato appears in camp is another one that we can positively identify.

 

The Mugato's arrival site, photographed in 2024

The rock in the foreground is the same one where the Mugato — sometimes referred to as the "Gumato" — stood in the screen shot above.

 

Is that horn just a wee bit too big?

The Mugato's arrival is generally a big downer, and not just because people think the costumers could have pulled back a touch on the giant horn. But the shot provides clues in the form of markings on the background rock.

 

Where the Mugato dropped in

The same slashes in the rock can be seen in the recent photo, along with the spot on the foreground rock where the Mugato stood. In the intervening decades, a tree has grown up between these two rocks.

 

The Mugato approaches a V-shaped tree in "A Private Little War"

As the Mugato rumbles toward Kirk and Nona, other landmarks come into view — notably one of those V-shaped trees we mentioned. In this shot Kirk and Nona appear to be trying to hide behind the tree.

 

The V-shaped tree today — still holding on

The V-shaped tree can still be found at the location, although these days it's showing signs of age — especially the right half of the "V." Today the worn-out old tree also has a swing hanging from it.

 

The Mugato traverses the V-tree

The V-shaped tree plays a prominent role in the Mugato attack. In this shot the monster climbs through the tree to get at Nona.

 

Landmarks near the V-shaped tree

If we're unsure whether we've found the right tree, we can match up some of the nearby landmarks — notably a small rock to the right of the tree and a big rock in the background with a straight vertical edge.

 

Rock landmarks confirm it's the right tree

Both landmarks can be found in the "Star Trek" sequence.

 

Captain Kirk to the rescue — who saw that coming?

The captain's instincts and testosterone kick in at the sight of a scantily clad Nona on the ground. Kirk tackles the Mugato — its plush back horns be damned — in a brave attempt to save Nona from the powerful critter.

 

Kirk's heroism is commemorated in a Hallmark Keepsake Ornament

The Mugato attack and Kirk's heroic defense of Nona were an important enough event in the "Star Trek" universe to be honored by Hallmark with a Keepsake Ornament. Film historian Aaron St. John, who played a major role in identifying the shooting location, also tracked down this cool souvenir in an antique shop.

 

His back against the V-shaped tree, Kirk takes aim

Kirk soon realizes he's punching above his weight class and could use a better strategy. Eventually it dawns on him that he can just zap the thing with his phaser.

 

That one Mugato ... gone!

This way we also get treated to a quintessentially "Star Trek: The Original Series" special effect — Yeeee-haw!

 

Ooh ... his achin' back

From the looks of this shot, Kirk managed to throw his back out anyway. This posture may be painfully familiar to some readers — to me it "feels" like a fifth lumbar issue.

 

Kirk and McCoy on "Planet Neural" in "A Private Little War"

Other scenes in "A Private Little War" were shot elsewhere in the Santa Susanas. As we reported back in 2013, this shot and others in the episode were taken on the former Bell Location Ranch.

 

Bell Ranch in 2013

We took this matching photo of the "Planet Neural" location on an expedition to Bell Ranch in 2013 that was spearheaded by intrepid "Star Trek" location finder Larry Herdman.

 

One of the many locations we found in 2013 for "A Private Little War"

On that 2013 Bell Ranch trek — one of our first expeditions to the mysterious filming location — we were able to match up a number of shots from the "Star Trek" episode. Please click here to see that post.

 

Live long and prosper, fellow movie location nerds

It often takes the combined work of several dedicated researchers to track down these locations, and I want to give a couple of big shout-outs to Larry Herdman and Aaron St. John, without whose efforts we may never have figured out the locations for "A Private Little War." Thanks to everyone who had a hand in it! (Get it? A "hand"?)

 

Congratulations to the top 20 movie location websites

If you love movie history, we recommend checking out this list of the top movie location blogs and websites, posted by Feedspot. We're proud to report that the Iverson Movie Ranch Blog was named one of the top 20 sites of 2024.

Where's the logic? Beloved "Star Trek" figure Leonard Nimoy goes on the warpath

 "Mackenzie's Raiders" (1959) — Leonard Nimoy as Yellow Wolf, right

I believe it's fairly well-known among fans of "Star Trek: The Original Series" that Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played the landmark TV show's iconic and always logical Mr. Spock, worked quite a bit in television before he got that role, including often appearing as Native American characters in early TV Westerns.

Leonard Nimoy, second from left, and other Native American characters on "Mackenzie's Raiders"

I recently ran across a nice example of Nimoy's pre-"Star Trek" work that brought him in full Native American regalia to the Iverson Movie Ranch, where he went on the warpath as the renegade Yellow Wolf in an episode of the TV Western "Mackenzie's Raiders." The episode, titled "Joe Ironhat," first aired in 1959, seven years before Nimoy clocked in as Spock on "Star Trek." In the above shot he appears alongside well-known Chiricahua Apache actor Dehl Berti, at right, playing the title character, Joe Topanga, or "Joe Ironhat."

Dehl Berti, left, and Leonard Nimoy in "Mackenzie's Raiders" 
— with Iverson's Cactus Hill in the background

In "Joe Ironhat," Nimoy's character represents the Native Americans' militant, Cavalry-hating wing while Berti's Joe Topanga is friendly with the white man and is working to make peace. The above shot is taken on the Lower Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, Calif., with widely filmed movie feature Cactus Hill visible behind the actors.

Tensions build until the episode culminates in the inevitable shootout between the Cavalry and the Native Americans. Here Yellow Wolf leads a small band of warriors as they get in position to do battle. You may notice Berti as Joe Topanga hovering reluctantly in the background. The scene takes place in Iverson's North Cluster, adjacent to Garden of the Gods, with this shot featuring a familiar movie landmark, Cleft Rock.

Here's that same shot with Cleft Rock and Nimoy pointed out. You can read more about Cleft Rock by clicking here.

Nimoy's Yellow Wolf, taking cover behind one of the rocks of the North Cluster, aims to gun down as many Cavalrymen as he can.

Meanwhile, Yellow Wolf also has a beef with his rival Joe Topanga. In the above shot Yellow Wolf is coming after Joe with a knife. Nimoy's Yellow Wolf is a real sourpuss, with one of his most frequent lines in the episode being, "You will die!"

A "Star Trek" shooting location — lost to history for almost half a century — has been found

It may come as a surprise given that "Star Trek: The Original Series" was all about exploring the universe, but the TV show rarely ventured outside the studio.

Only nine of the 79 episodes produced over the course of three seasons were shot on location, while another five episodes made it only as far as the backlot at Desilu Studios. The rest of the series, which aired on NBC from 1966-1969, was all done on soundstages.

The Gorn menaces Capt. Kirk in "Arena," 

shot at Vasquez Rocks

Those few location shoots have been a source of intrigue among "Star Trek" aficionados. Some shoots, such as the one shown above for the "Arena" episode at Vasquez Rocks, have become legendary. The episode featured an infamous fight sequence between Kirk and the rubber-suited Gorn across the distinctively tilted rocks. Vasquez was the remote location of choice for "The Original Series," with four episodes shot there.

Landscape of Planet Neural in "A Private Little War," 

shot at Bell Location Ranch

"Trek" insiders have been working for years to determine the rest of the locations where "The Original Series," or "TOS," was shot, and that work is now pretty much complete. One of the most challenging episodes to figure out was "A Private Little War," which first aired Feb. 2, 1968, during the second season. I'm happy to be able to confirm that the location for this episode has been found: "A Private Little War" was shot on the lower plateau of the Bell Location Ranch, in the Santa Susana Mountains above Box Canyon, just outside of Chatsworth, Calif.

"A Private Little War"

The location shoot for "A Private Little War" has been widely misunderstood. Through a brief online search I found sites attributing the episode separately to Vasquez Rocks and Bronson Canyon, and I've seen a YouTube clip — no longer posted — by a fan who speculated it was shot at the Iverson Movie Ranch. Not one of those theories turns out to be correct. "Star Trek: TOS" did shoot one episode at Bronson Canyon — season two's "Bread and Circuses," which aired March 15, 1968. But the series never shot at Iverson.

A March 2013 expedition by a group of film historians to the site of the former Bell Ranch, spearheaded by "TOS" location expert Larry Herdman, finally unlocked the mysteries of "A Private Little War." One of the first signs the group was on to something was the sight of these rugged cliffs looming over Bell Ranch's lower plateau.

Here's that same rugged cliff area, as seen in early 1968 (but shot in late 1967) in "A Private Little War." The shot leaves no doubt as to where the episode was taped.

In an early scene from "A Private Little War," a small band of Villagers sets up an ambush in the rocks. The scene takes place in a group of rocks near the edge of Bell Ranch's lower plateau.

This is what that same group of rocks looks like today — pretty much the same as when the episode was taped in late 1967, although the lighting conditions give the rocks a darker appearance.

A closer shot of two of the guys in the ambush shows them hiding in a small cluster of rocks.

This is that same cluster, as seen today.

Here's a wider view of the ambush area today, with the San Fernando Valley in the background. The small cluster seen above with the two ambushers is just to the left of center in this shot.

A little to the east, four Hill People walk past a rock with distinctive circular markings — unaware they're walking into an ambush.

Here's that same rock today, with the markings still easy to identify.

Pulling back for a wider view of that area today, the angular rock seen above with the distinctive circular markings appears at the far left of the frame. (For a better look at it, click on the photo to enlarge it.) The area where the Villagers would have been waiting in ambush is at the far right. Here again, the San Fernando Valley is seen in the background.

Another distinctive rock, photographed during the March 2013 expedition to Bell Ranch's lower plateau.

A portion of that same rock can be seen behind McCoy in the "TOS" episode, in the top right corner.

Here's another rock photographed during the recent visit to Bell Ranch.

And here's the same rock in another screen shot of an injured McCoy. The two angles are pretty close, and you should be able to easily spot similarities in the rock's shapes and markings between the two shots.

Spock was a part of at least one landing party during the episode and joined Kirk in romping around Bell Ranch's rocky terrain.

One of the main characters in the episode is Nona, who is being attacked by a Villager in this scene near the end of "A Private Little War." It seems to me that this shot inadvertently exposes some buildings in the background at the right — a blurry glimpse of the western San Fernando Valley circa late 1967.

This photo shows that same general area of the Valley in recent times. I don't think it's possible to match up specific buildings, as the angle is not exactly the same and the place has grown a lot in the past 45 years. But the same cliff face is seen in both shots — at the left in the above shot and at the center in the "TOS" shot, directly above the Villager's head. If you look closely you should be able to make out the same horizontal markings and "pock marks" in both shots, although this match isn't quite as obvious as some of those above.

For additional views of the Bell Ranch shoot for "A Private Little War," please click here to see a blog entry by movie location expert Jerry England.

"A Private Little War"

With the discovery that "A Private Little War" was shot on the Bell Location Ranch, the bulk of the location research for "TOS" is now done. But at least one loose end remains.

"This Side of Paradise" — widely believed to be 

shot at Golden Oak Ranch

A certain amount of mystery still surrounds the 1967 episode "This Side of Paradise" from season one, which is generally thought to be shot at Disney's Golden Oak Ranch in Placerita Canyon near Newhall, Calif. (UPDATE: This isn't really a mystery anymore; see comments below.)

A warning about Bell Ranch: The former movie location site also remains closed to the public, hidden behind locked gates and difficult to access. While the lower plateau is still relatively undeveloped, much of the rest of Bell is now occupied by residential housing. As I mentioned in a previous blog entry about a "Bonanza" shoot on Bell's lower plateau, the area is defended by residents who don't appreciate strangers traipsing around on their turf — and other hikers who have gone into the area have received something less than a warm welcome from the locals.