How cool is James Coburn? Cool enough to be filmed at Zorro's Cabin ... which is extremely cool

James Coburn, right, at Zorro's Cabin in "Bat Masterson" (1959)

I'm going "Off the Beaten Path" here — veering away temporarily from the Iverson Movie Ranch — but I was pretty excited to find shots of Zorro's Cabin during a recent scan of some old episodes of the "Bat Masterson" TV show. Best of all, I ran across shots of one of my favorite actors, James Coburn, at the cabin and out in the nearby rocks.

Coburn had a major shoot on the Bell Location Ranch for a guest appearance in an episode called "The Black Pearls," playing a character named Poke Otis. The episode premiered July 1, 1959, toward the end of the show's first season. The rocks seen here are just across from Zorro's Cabin, on Bell Ranch's Upper Plateau.

Coburn had kind of an innately menacing look that made him a natural for Westerns — maybe not Lee Van Cleef menacing, but menacing enough. He appeared on just about every TV Western of the late 1950s and early 1960s — "Wagon Train," "Bonanza," "Have Gun — Will Travel," "Cheyenne," "Wanted — Dead or Alive," "Zane Grey Theater," "Black Saddle," "Rawhide," "The Rifleman" ... the list goes on.

Bad guys defend Zorro's Cabin in "The Black Pearls"

Zorro's Cabin played a pivotal role in the "Bat Masterson" episode, with a couple of bad guys holed up in the place before Poke, Coburn's character, and Bat, played by Gene Barry, partnered up to flush 'em out.

They also dragged Carol Otis, played by Jacqueline Scott, into the dispute. In this shot the three main protagonists are out in front of the cabin.

James Coburn in action, in front of Zorro's Cabin

The rocks seen here come up a lot during the action sequences shot at Zorro's Cabin for the episode. The same rocks can be seen in the shot above this one, and in a shot higher up with Coburn walking among the rocks.

Here's Bat Masterson himself — Gene Barry — at the front of Zorro's Cabin.

Bat regroups after dispensing with one of the ne'er-do-wells. The last couple of shots offer a good look at the fake movie wear and tear applied to give Zorro's Cabin that "lived-in" look.

They used the other side of the cabin for this shot, which appears elsewhere in the episode.

Bat comforts Jacqueline Scott's character, Carol, after rescuing her from being drug by a horse. Everybody except Bat gets a little messy in this one, with all the action taking place around Zorro's Cabin.

Zorro's Cabin in recent times

Zorro's Cabin still stands on the site of the former Bell Location Ranch off Box Canyon in the hills above the western San Fernando Valley. This portion of what we now think of as Bell Ranch was previously owned by the Berry family and has also been called Berry Ranch.

Zorro's Cabin, up close

I've heard a couple of different origin stories about Zorro's Cabin. One widely circulated story has it that the place was built by Disney for the old "Zorro" TV series, although another version of the story says the cabin was built by the owners at the time, the Berry family, and was not originally meant to be a movie building but served as the family's weekend getaway.

James Coburn as Leo Talley, with Carol Ohmart as Lisa Truex,

in the "Bat Masterson" episode "Six Feet of Gold" (1960)

James Coburn subsequently made a second guest appearance on "Bat Masterson," playing a different character, Leo Talley, in "Six Feet of Gold" in early 1960. Coburn's character in this one is more of a "dude," and Coburn never has to get his boots dirty much — although on the downside, I believe he gets killed off in both episodes.

"Bat Masterson" (1961) — the Western town at Bell Ranch

"Bat Masterson," which aired for three seasons on NBC, from 1958-1961, shot quite a bit on the Bell Location Ranch, and is a good source for screen shots of not only Zorro's Cabin, but also the Bell Western town. The above shot, from the episode "Run for Your Money," which premiered March 2, 1961, provides a sample of what the Western town looked like. To read an earlier post about a "Bonanza" shoot at Bell Ranch, please click here, and to read about a "Star Trek" shoot at Bell, try this link.

Off the Beaten Path is a series of posts that are not specifically focused on the usual subject matter of this blog, the Iverson Movie Ranch. Past subjects have included Pioneertown, Corriganville, Oak Park and other old filming locations. You can go directly to the Off the Beaten Path posts by looking up the term "Off the Beaten Path" in the long index of labels at the right of the page, or by clicking here.

The Old Man of the Gorge and the Three Amigos — as seen in the TV show "Laramie" and in the real world today

"Laramie" TV show (1960) — the Three Amigos (the rocks)

Here's a screen shot from a "Laramie" episode titled "Saddle and Spur," which premiered March 29, 1960, late in season one of the show's four-season run on NBC. The rocks featured in the shot consist mainly of a group I call the Three Amigos, which have been featured before on the blog.

The Three Amigos as they appear today

I'm always glad when I can point out that old movie rocks have survived, and I'm happy to note that all of the main rocks seen in the Laramie shot are still with us. These days they share their world with some nearby condos, but the rocks remain one of the star attractions in what's left of the Upper Gorge on the former Iverson Movie Ranch.

These are the three distinct "Amigos" seen in the "Laramie" shot.

One of the Three Amigos is also known as the Old Man of the Gorge. (The other two Amigos are pretty much just the "other Two Amigos.")

The Old Man of the Gorge — as he appears today

Here's a closeup of the Old Man of the Gorge in recent times.

Even the smaller rocks seen in the "Laramie" shot have survived.

This shot highlights the smaller rocks, as they appear in the recent shot of the area. In another bit of good news, all of the rocks seen here stand on park property and are openly available to be visited by the public.

Take the 118 Freeway to Topanga in Chatsworth, Calif., head south on Topanga to the first light, which is Santa Susana Pass Road, turn right at Santa Susana Pass Road, then take the first right onto Redmesa Road. Park before you get to the condos, and these rocks are on the east side of Redmesa, the right side.

Lone Ranger Rock

You'll also find Lone Ranger Rock in that part of the Gorge — on the east side of Redmesa Road. (Watch your step as you make your way down into the Gorge, and be on the lookout for rattlesnakes and poison oak.)

Gate into Garden of the Gods on the other side of Redmesa — the west side

The park is not marked as a park on the east side of the road, where the Three Amigos and Lone Ranger Rock can be found, but the area is open to the public (below the condos only). On the other side of Redmesa Road, the west side, you'll find the slightly better-posted Garden of the Gods park preserve, including the gate shown above.

Off the Beaten Path: The Barkley family mansion and barn in "The Big Valley" — and where in tarnation did they drop off Miss Kitty in "Gunsmoke"?

The Barkley family mansion, as seen in the title sequence for "The Big Valley" (1965-1969)

It's fairly well-known that the Barkley family mansion on the TV series "The Big Valley" was located on the old Republic backlot in Studio City, Calif. But I recently uncovered a few tidbits about the sets used for the show that I don't think have been publicized much, if at all.

The Mansion, as seen on "The Big Valley"

This screen shot comes from the episode "Under a Dark Star," which premiered Feb. 9, 1966, during the show's first season. The building on the Republic lot that served as the Barkley mansion tends to be referred to somewhat generically as "The Mansion," or the Mansion set.

"The Mansion," on the Republic backlot in Studio City

This shot of the Mansion is unrelated to "The Big Valley" or any other production, as far as I know, but has been circulated as something of a reference shot of Republic's Mansion set. The photo also appears in Tinsley E. Yarbrough's quintessential book "Those Great Western Movie Locations." Tinsley notes that the mansion was originally built for the 1949 John Wayne movie "The Fighting Kentuckian."

"The Big Valley" — closing credits

Here's the shot of the mansion that appears while the closing credits roll at the end of episodes of "The Big Valley." The one-hour series aired for four seasons and 112 episodes on ABC, from 1965-1969, and was part of a wave of TV Westerns including "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke" and "The Virginian" that helped transition the genre from its primary role in the 1950s as children's entertainment into a well-regarded adult dramatic format.

The Barkley family barn, as seen on "The Big Valley"

The Barkley family's red barn, seen in a number of episodes, was also located on the Republic backlot. The barn was part of the Duchess Ranch set, which happened to be adjacent to the Mansion set. This shot comes from the episode "The Fallen Hawk," which premiered March 2, 1966.

The seemingly small house on the left is part of a large house that was situated near the Mansion. This gray house and the barn effectively made up the Duchess Ranch set, which was used repeatedly by Republic when it was cranking out B-Westerns.

"Santa Fe Passage" (Republic, 1955)

The Mansion set occasionally snuck into the shot in productions that featured the Duchess Ranch set, as in this example from the John Payne-Rod Cameron Western "Santa Fe Passage."

The shot is intended to feature the Duchess Ranch set, but since we know where to look — in the top left corner — it's easy to spot the Mansion peeking around the corner.

Additions and upgrades to the Duchess Ranch barn for "The Big Valley"

Even though the barn as it appears in "The Big Valley" is seen from close to the same angle used in "Santa Fe Passage," its appearance is markedly different in the two productions. For "The Big Valley," along with a new red paint job, the barn had a number of additions built on — including a new covered entry area. A freshly painted new corral area was also set up.

Here's another view of the new covered entry area that's part of the barn set for "The Big Valley."

The barn also sports a new turret on top.

"The Golden Stallion" (Republic, 1949) — Duchess Ranch

The same set was featured in countless productions over the years, usually looking more like a typical dusty old Western ranch set — as it does here in the Roy Rogers and Trigger showcase "The Golden Stallion."

"The Big Valley" — gate to be replicated in the Conejo Valley

The new corral area seen in "The Big Valley" was used to help establish a separate filming location where the producers wanted viewers to believe the Barkley family compound was located, which is seen in the shot below.

"The Big Valley" — the replica gate, from the episode "Image of Yesterday"

The episode containing this screen shot of a replica corral gate — presumably meant to represent the gate back on the Republic lot — premiered Jan. 9, 1967, during season two. This gate appears in a number of episodes, with characters riding through it as they arrive at or depart from the Barkley compound.

"The Big Valley" episode "Image of Yesterday" (1967): Lindero Canyon

The location of the gate is clearly meant to define the setting surrounding the Barkley family home on "The Big Valley." However, in the real world, the gate was located miles away in what is now the suburb of North Ranch, Calif., in the Conejo Valley's Lindero Canyon. It appears that the only part of the "Big Valley" set that stood in this location was the replica of the gate.

A close look at the gate and fence that were set up in Lindero Canyon reveals that they're not a perfect match with the gate at Duchess Ranch in Studio City. While the supports on the crossbar at the top and the diamond-shaped bracing on the gate itself are a good match, the configuration of the fence is a giveaway.

Another bend in the layout of the fence belies the producers' attempt to replicate the Duchess Ranch set.

"The Big Valley" — shot in Lindero Canyon

This scene from "Wagonload of Dreams" was shot near where the replica gate was set up. You may detect commonality in the background hills between this photo and those featuring the gate set. (See the next photo, for example.) This episode first aired Jan. 2, 1967, one week before "Image of Yesterday," and was probably part of the same shoot.

"The Big Valley" — "Cage of Eagles"

The gate and background hills appear again in the episode "Cage of Eagles," which aired later in season two, premiering April 24, 1967. I wonder how long that gate would have stayed in place out there — or whether they kept putting it up and taking it down. More'n likely, they just kept recycling the same footage.

Here again are the two shots above, combined to show that they contain the same rocky bluff in the background. While the bluff is more distinct in the top half of the composite, from "Wagonload of Dreams," the overall shape matches the more distant shot on the bottom, from "Cage of Eagles."

"Branded" TV show (1966) — same bluffs in the background

Lindero Canyon being a bit off the radar, tracking down the location of the "Big Valley" gate set took some doing. But the locale did play host to some filming activity, especially in the mid-1960s — this "Branded" shot being another example.

The bluffs pull one's eye off course sometimes, so here we can make sure we're on the same page. The bluff circled above in red is easy to mix up with the one to its right. The "Branded" shot comes from the episode "Call to Glory, Part 3," which wrapped up a three-part series of episodes that aired in February and March 1966.

The bluff at the right in this shot can also be seen in "The Big Valley," in the shot from "Wagonload of Dreams," where it appears above and to the right of the wagon. The bluff in the center of this shot is not seen in any of the "Big Valley" shots, but surfaces here because the "Branded" scene was shot from a much higher angle.

Google Earth photo: Hiking trail below the Simi Ridge

A photo I found posted on Google Earth, taken by a hiker along a trail in the Lindero Canyon area, captures the same bluffs seen in "Branded" and "The Big Valley," albeit from a different angle.

I've labeled the bluffs appearing in the photo posted by the hiker to show how they match up with the "Branded" shot, which appears below with similar labels.

Here's the "Branded" shot again, labeled to show how the bluffs match up with the photo posted by the hiker.

"Gunsmoke" (1965) — the Miss Kitty dropoff location

The Lindero Canyon shooting location first came to my attention as part of a search by Michael D, one of the readers of this blog. Michael is a "Gunsmoke" fan and mentioned that he had been searching for the remote location seen above, where Miss Kitty gets dropped off by the stagecoach in the episode "Gold Mine."

This clump of rocks in the "Gunsmoke" scene was the focal point of Michael's location hunt. I've since come to think of them as the "Miss Kitty Rocks."

Amanda Blake as Kitty, stranded at the "Miss Kitty Rocks"

In the "Gunsmoke" episode, Miss Kitty is dropped off by the stagecoach and left at the clump of rocks, where it's pertinent to the theme of the episode that she's stranded in the middle of nowhere. The episode premiered on Christmas Day in 1965 as part of "Gunsmoke's" 11th season.

As it turns out, the same clump of rocks also appeared in "Branded," although it was shot from a different direction and so it had a different background — the bluffs forming the Simi Ridge.

The hiker who posted the Google Earth photo taken along the trail above Lindero Canyon, with the bluffs in the background, also posted this shot, taken from close to the same spot. The shot contains the same hills seen in the background during the "Gunsmoke" sequence.

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the hills above Lindero Canyon as they appear in the background of the hiker's photo and in the "Gunsmoke" sequence. The same hills appear in both photos.

While I had a hand in helping to put a few of the pieces together, it was Michael who nailed down the "Gunsmoke" location as Lindero Canyon. Between the two of us, we were able to determine that the site of the original clump of rocks where Miss Kitty was dropped off was approximately here — in what is now a suburban back yard in the community of North Ranch. In an enticing twist, it appears that at least some of the original rocks have survived.

Off the Beaten Path is a series of posts that are not specifically focused on the Iverson Movie Ranch. Typically they're about filming locations in Southern California. Past subjects have included Corriganville, Bell Ranch, Pioneertown and Mulholland Drive, to name a few. You can go directly to the Off the Beaten Path posts by looking up the term "Off the Beaten Path" in the long index of labels at the right of the page, or by clicking here (recommended!).