Bird's-eye view of Chatsworth, Calif., in the 1920s offers a glimpse at movie history in the northwest San Fernando Valley

Aerial photo of Chatsworth, Calif., circa 1920s

I found an old bird's-eye view of Chatsworth, Calif., at the library, and while it's low-res by today's Bing and Google Earth standards, it's an important shot from a film history standpoint. The photo provides insights into the area surrounding the Iverson Movie Ranch when it was first getting up to speed as a filming location back in the silent movie era. I recommend that you click on these photos to see larger versions of them.

This shot indicates where the Iverson Movie Ranch, divided into its upper and lower halves, fits into the landscape. The photo is not clear enough to provide a meaningful look at the Iverson Ranch itself, but it helps put the nearby hills, roads and other features in perspective. The undated photo appears to be from sometime in the 1920s.

Oat Mountain may be the most frequently seen background feature in productions filmed on the Iverson Movie Ranch. Also noted here are Stoney Point — a Chatsworth landmark next to Topanga Canyon Boulevard that today is a popular rock-climbing destination — and a portion of the Brandeis Ranch that I call Brandeis Plain, which is often visible in the background in productions shot on the Upper Iverson. The Brandeis property was located immediately to the west of the Upper Iverson, and to the south and west of the Brandeis Estate was another filming location, the Lazy A Ranch, which operated mainly in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

The most exciting discovery in the early photo is a road that is now known as Johnson Motorway or Johnson Mountain Way. These days the road, besides serving as a fire break, is part of a hiking loop that includes the Rocky Peak area to the west. But the photo reveals that it already existed as a relatively well-defined road as far back as the 1920s, suggesting that it would have been used as a route into and out of the northwestern corner of the San Fernando Valley. This route is not nearly as well-known as Santa Susana Pass Road, built in 1917, which connected — and still connects — the San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley. The Johnson Motorway route is also much less well-documented than the old stagecoach road, which is not seen in this shot but entered the San Fernando Valley below Santa Susana Pass Road.

The old road winding its way down the hill from the northwest connected up in those days with Mayan Drive, part of early planned development in the foothills. The Twin Lakes project never fully took off, and the Deerlake Highlands development farther up the hill was a complete bust, with the land remaining undeveloped for almost 100 years. Today a small residential area at the northern end of Topanga bears the name Twin Lakes, and Mayan Drive runs through the neighborhood, connecting the top of Topanga with the top of Canoga. This shot also points out the location of the old Mayan Gate that marked the entrance to Twin Lakes. The gate stood near the southeast corner of the Iverson Movie Ranch until the 1950s.

1929 aerial: Roads for the Deerlake Highlands project already in place

The Twin Lakes neighborhood was only a small part of the grand scheme that included the proposed Deerlake Highlands development, and for almost a century the hills above Twin Lakes remained marked with some of the proposed residential streets that were carved out for Deerlake Highlands in the 1920s — mostly for homes that were never built.

 

Entrance to the new "Deerlake Ranch" gated community

The land that was designated to become Deerlake Highlands all the way back in the 1920s did eventually get developed, but not until the 21st century. Today it is a gated community known as "Deerlake Ranch," which has no connection to the original project other than geographic proximity and the use of the name. This development is visible in the hills above Chatsworth, appearing as a mass of relatively uniform homes filling the hillside area to the west of similar developments in Porter Ranch.

The Mayan Gate, marking the entrance to the Twin Lakes development

The above view of the Mayan Gate looks south, and would be the view visitors would get when leaving the Twin Lakes area. I know of one occasion when the Mayan Gate appeared in an old movie — the James Cagney feature "White Heat," which I discussed in this earlier blog entry. Visible in the distance in this shot, framed by the gate, is the hill known today as Summit Ridge, to the south of Twin Lakes and the Iverson Ranch.

 

"Old Los Angeles" (Republic, 1948): Summit Ridge turns up in the background

Summit Ridge, which today is another gated community, appears in the backgrounds of many movies filmed on the Iverson Ranch. This shot from the Bill Elliott Western "Old Los Angeles" is taken looking south through the Iverson Gorge, with Nyoka Cliff looming large on the left side of the frame and Hawk Rock jutting above the ridgeline on the right.

The Deerlake Highlands and Twin Lakes area in 2014

Here's a modern aerial photo showing the area of the proposed Twin Lakes and Deerlake Highlands developments. The neighborhood now known as Twin Lakes, circled in yellow at the bottom of the photo, is filled with unique residential homes, a rare few of which date back to the original development. The original Mayan Drive still winds through the neighborhood. Meanwhile, many of the roads that were carved out in the 1920s for Deerlake Highlands remained etched into the hills above the northwest San Fernando Valley as of 2014 and can be seen toward the top of the photo. The original layout was later destroyed as part of grading for today's Deerlake Ranch.

One feature that can be easily matched up between the circa 1920s bird's-eye photo and productions shot on the Iverson Movie Ranch is a short section of road set against the hills to the north of the Upper Iverson. I have been calling this section "Road Up the Hill" in my research, but thanks to the old bird's-eye shot, I now know that it was part of that original road that extended far to the northwest — the same road now known as Johnson Motorway and used mainly for hiking.

"Go West, Young Lady" (1941) — Road Up the Hill

Here's an example of a movie appearance by Road Up the Hill, or Johnson Motorway, in Columbia's musical-comedy Western "Go West, Young Lady," which starred Glenn Ford, Penny Singleton and Ann Miller. This shot is taken on the Upper Iverson, and Road Up the Hill can be seen in the top right corner.

The Line of Trees divided the Upper Iverson Movie Ranch from the Brandeis Estate to the west, including the section of the estate property I call Brandeis Plain. Road Up the Hill can be seen in the backgrounds of countless chase sequences filmed on both the Upper Iverson and the Lazy A Ranch, adjacent to the Brandeis Ranch. In this shot, a stagecoach can be seen near the center of the frame, speeding across the Upper Iverson.

"Johnny Concho" (United Artists, 1956)

Here's another movie appearance by Road Up the Hill, in the Frank Sinatra Western "Johnny Concho." Road Up the Hill appears near the top left corner, and this shot also features Bear Tree — a photogenic Upper Iverson oak tree that survived well into the 21st century.

This is the same "Johnny Concho" shot, pointing out Road Up the Hill and Bear Tree. Bear Tree was discussed in detail in this earlier blog post.

 

Frank Sinatra and Phyllis Kirk at Corriganville in "Johnny Concho"

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Frontier lawman Wyatt Earp photobombed by a Stegosaurus

"The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1956)

When I see stuff like this I can't help but wonder, was it intentional or just a happy accident? In this case, I'd say it had to be intentional. The above shot from the "Wyatt Earp" TV show is taken from the episode "Dodge City Gets a New Marshal," which first aired Sept. 4, 1956, early in the show's second season. The shot depicts series star Hugh O'Brian, as lawman Wyatt Earp, arriving at the cemetery outside Dodge City — we can see that much from the sign. But the shot also features an especially charismatic rock, which was located on the Lower Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, Calif.

This version of the photo pinpoints the rock I'm talking about. I call it Stegosaurus, and I've discussed it before on the blog. You can click here to read more about Stegosaurus — or click on "Stegosaurus" in the long alphabetical index found along the right side of this page to see a compilation of blog posts that mention the rock. In today's world, the appearance by Stegosaurus in this shot of Wyatt Earp might be considered a "photobomb."

Here's a subsequent shot from the same "Wyatt Earp" sequence, providing a closer look at the cemetery sign — along with a closer look at Stegosaurus. During its six-season run on ABC, from 1955-1961, "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" shot most of its outdoor action at Iverson.

"Wild Horse Ambush" (1952)

The above shot from "Wild Horse Ambush," one of the later Republic B-Westerns, reveals a bit more of Stegosaurus. The shot was filmed along a well-used chase road and features a number of famous movie rocks. To the right of Stegosaurus is Hangdog, and at the right edge of the photo is Bill Rock. A glimpse of Woolly Mammoth, also known as Vultura's Trail Rock, can be seen in the background. I'll ID all of these features in the next shot.

This is that same shot from "Wild Horse Ambush" with the key features highlighted. You can learn more about these rocks by clicking on their names in the index that appears on the right side of this page. Suffice to say they've all had extensive exposure in movies and TV shows — including frequently being filmed more or less from this same angle.

"Thunder River Feud" (1942)

The sighting that got my research rolling on Stegosaurus came early in my Iverson exploration, courtesy of the Range Busters B-Western "Thunder River Feud," from Monogram — and it came in the form of the grainy screen shot above. As far as how much Stegosaurus the rock resembles an actual Stegosaurus, it's likely that not everyone will see the resemblance. But in my own experience — and I have to admit, I played with toy dinosaurs as a kid — the above shot said "Stegosaurus" to me.

This version of the "Thunder River Feud" shot may give some idea of the "stegosaurus parts" that go into my conception of Stegosaurus the rock.

Stegosaurus as it appears today

Stegosaurus, which can still be found today on the site of the former Iverson Movie Ranch, still does look kind of like a stegosaurus — at least as much as it ever did. At any rate, it still looks remarkably similar to the creature that appeared on film in 1942, in "Thunder River Feud."

Another shot from recent times reveals the brick wall that now separates Stegosaurus from a condo community, as explained in this earlier blog post. In this shot, Hangdog is also visible, just above the wall.

"The Virginian" TV series (1964)

Stegosaurus has appeared in countless movies and TV shows, although it is often in the background. The above example comes from the TV series "The Virginian," from an episode called "The Girl From Yesterday," which first aired Nov. 11, 1964. Stegosaurus appears in the distance in the shot, but if you can't spot it, you're not alone. I wouldn't be able to recognize it in this screen shot either if it weren't for some of the surrounding rocks.

Here's the same shot from "The Virginian," with Stegosaurus highlighted.

The real giveaway in the "Virginian" screen shot is Sticky Bun, just above and to the left of Stegosaurus. The rock's distinctive shape — need I point out that it looks like one of those delectable breakfast treats also known as a cinnamon roll? — along with its elevated position makes it a helpful and reliable marker for Iverson. On a number of occasions, Sticky Bun — even when it's way in the background, as it usually is — has been my first indication that a production is shot at Iverson.

You're on a roll ... so don't stop now. Check out these Amazon links for some of the productions discussed in this blog post. There's much more Iverson waiting to be discovered ...

The Sentries — Guardians of the Gods

"You Can't Fight City Hall," an episode of "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp"

Much of the action in the "Wyatt Earp" episode "You Can't Fight City Hall," which premiered Oct. 20, 1959, takes place on and around the trail leading up into the Garden of the Gods. The shot seen above includes a portion of the trail, in the foreground, along with a number of significant rocks, which I'll highlight below.

This is the same shot from the "Wyatt Earp" episode, with some of the rock features noted.

If you're an Iverson aficionado, you may have already spotted Tower Rock, sometimes called Indian Head, as one of the Three Kings — the one on the right in these shots. The King on the left also has its own identity, as the Pharaoh. I'll discuss the Pharaoh more in an upcoming post.

Virtually all of the rocks seen above, along with the Garden of the Gods Trail itself, remain in place today, thanks to the preservation efforts of a number of organizations that worked together to get Garden of the Gods preserved as a park. The plaque seen above was placed on Hawk Rock just in the past few years to commemorate the filming location, and can be seen as you hike up toward Garden of the Gods.

Garden of the Gods Trail as it appears in recent years, 
including Hawk Rock and the Sentries

The above shot was taken on one of my first visits to the Iverson Movie Ranch, back in 2008, and shows the same trail rising up into Garden of the Gods that's seen in the Wyatt Earp episode. At the left is Hawk Rock, with this shot taken before the plaque was in place. Also in the shot are the Sentries, which keep a vigil on both sides of the trail. I'll highlight them in the next shot.

This shot should help you pinpoint the Sentries, and match them up with their appearance above in the "Wyatt Earp" episode. Hawk Rock was featured regularly in the old movies and early TV shows filmed at Iverson, but the Sentries hardly got any screen time. Even so, they stand tall as guardians of the trail in modern times, and everyone who hikes up into Garden of the Gods from that direction passes between them. I presume the main reason the Sentries and the trail area didn't get filmed much was logistical: The trail is on an incline and doesn't provide a lot of room for movie equipment.

Here's a more recent shot of Hawk Rock showing where the plaque can be found. It's just inside the gate to Garden of the Gods, off Redmesa Road.

Model behavior by special-effects champs the Lydecker brothers, Republic Pictures' secret weapon in the B-movie wars

Theodore Lydecker, left, and brother Howard Lydecker

Brothers Howard Lydecker and Theodore Lydecker were old-school special-effects wizards who worked together at Republic Pictures for the studio's entire run, from the mid-1930s well into the 1950s, using low-tech artistry to elevate Republic's serials and B-movies beyond what the studio's Poverty Row rivals were capable of pulling off.

"Commando Cody" (1953): A Lydecker brothers mini-space ship "lands" on the Upper Iverson

They were masters of the miniature model, whether it was space ships, buildings, trains, automobiles, stagecoaches — many a car or covered wagon went over a cliff under their watchful eyes. The above example of a Lydecker miniature comes from the Republic serial "Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe," and shows a model space ship "landing" in a setting composed of some actual Upper Iverson footage in the background along with a miniature fence and fake rocks in the foreground.

Lydecker brothers model of the Grove Relay Station, from "Zorro's Black Whip"

On a number of occasions the Lydeckers replicated actual structures at the Iverson Movie Ranch — only to see their creation ultimately destroyed by fire, crushed by avalanche or otherwise mutilated. It was all good fun, and now, through the magic of screen shots and our own low-tech special effects — especially slow-motion and pause — we're able to appreciate their craftsmanship on a whole other level.

The actual Grove Relay Station on the Iverson Movie Ranch, also from "Zorro's Black Whip"

The Lydeckers' work in the 1944 serial "Zorro's Black Whip," where the brothers created a realistic replica of Iverson's Grove Relay Station and then crushed it in an avalanche set off by the bad guys, is a good example of their connection to the Iverson Movie Ranch. It's pretty hard to tell the real relay station from the model, but the best clue comes when the place starts being destroyed by the avalanche — at that point, you know it's the model.

Down comes the mountain ...and the model begins to collapse.

The Lydeckers pretty much trashed the place.

Here's a video clip of the sequence ...

A film pioneer dies — was he the last of the singing cowboys?

Herb Jeffries

I am sorry to report the death of a man who was one of precious few remaining icons from the era of the singing cowboy: Herb Jeffries, who was known as Hollywood's first black singing cowboy — and who may well have been the last singing cowboy. Jeffries died of heart failure Sunday, May 25, 2014, at 100 years of age at West Hills Hospital in the San Fernando Valley.

Jeffries' name appears with different spellings throughout his film career, including on this poster for "The Bronze Buckaroo (1939), one of his signature films. He spelled his last name "Jeffries" even though it often appears as "Jeffrey" or "Jeffreys" on posters and in film credits.

"Harlem on the Prairie" (1937)

I know of only one movie that Jeffries filmed on the Iverson Movie Ranch — his 1937 Western "Harlem on the Prairie." The above scene from the movie is filmed in the ranch's Garden of the Gods.

Herb Jeffries on the cover of Jet Magazine in 1952

Jeffries has been called the towering figure in the integration of pop culture in the 20th century, and has been widely credited for making a conscious decision to become the first black singing cowboy rather than pass as white — something his mixed ethnic background and light skin would have enabled him to do. His widow, Savannah Jeffries, is quoted as saying earlier this week: "Herb's motto was there's only one race — the human race."

Herb Jeffries, left, with Duke Ellington (partially visible over 

Jeffries' shoulder) and bassist Jimmy Blanton in 1941

Jeffries was a singer in the Duke Ellington Orchestra in the early 1940s, scoring a big hit in 1941 with "Flamingo," which became his signature song.

Jeffries starred in a series of all-black B-Westerns in the 1930s, earning the nickname "The Bronze Buckaroo" after his lead role in the 1939 Western of that title, directed by Richard Kahn and released by Hollywood Productions. He usually appeared as cowboy hero Bob Blake, and rode a horse named Stardusk — with his Westerns also often featuring the vocal group the Four Tones.

He appeared as a singing cowboy in the 1938 featurette "Rhythm Rodeo," even though his name didn't make it onto the movie's poster. The poster includes racial references that many of us may find offensive today, but I believe it's important to portray history as accurately as possible, so I've included it above.



Herb Jeffries sings "Flamingo" with the Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1941 

Jeffries participated in at least one gathering at the Iverson Movie Ranch, well after the site's filming era, in 1999, when he took part in a fund raiser held at Iverson for fellow singing cowboy Eddie Dean, who was in failing health at the time and died about a month later.

"Last Stagecoach West" (1957)

In effect, Jeffries died in the background of the singing cowboy genre's most important outdoor filming location, the Iverson Movie Ranch, as portions of what is now West Hills can be seen in the distance in movie scenes shot in Iverson's Upper Gorge — including the above example from the Jim Davis B-Western "Last Stagecoach West." (Jeffries did not appear in the movie, having wrapped up his career in Westerns by the end of the 1930s.)

The links below will take you to Amazon.com listings for a number of Herb Jeffries' films and recordings: