Burt Reynolds, Ruta Lee and Cesar Romero at Iverson Pond in 1961 in "Zane Grey Theatre"

Burt Reynolds in "Zane Grey Theatre" (1961)

An episode of the Western anthology TV series "Zane Grey Theatre" brought a young Burt Reynolds to the Iverson Movie Ranch in 1961. Reynolds was 24 and was just starting to get his career rolling at the time the episode, "Man From Everywhere," was produced.

Iverson Pond, in "Man From Everywhere"

A key sequence in "Man From Everywhere" played out on the shore of Iverson Pond in the Sheep Flats area of the Lower Iverson. This was a few years after the Iverson Western street, which had been standing on the spot since 1945, was torn down — and a couple of years before Sheep Flats became the first part of the movie ranch to be sold off. Construction would begin in 1963 on what is now the Indian Hills Mobile Home Village.

Iverson Pond wasn't particularly deep, making shots like this one, with riders walking their horses across the shallow body of water, relatively easy to shoot.

Ruta Lee at Iverson Pond — note the stacked rocks

The Iverson Pond area featured a number of stacked rocks, two of which can be seen in this shot of Ruta Lee at the edge of the pond. Lee was 25 and already a TV and film veteran when she appeared as Jenny Aldrich in the "Zane Grey" episode. Now 79, she remains active in charity work along with occasional acting gigs.

Ruta Lee and Cesar Romero — Pond Rock in the background

The scene also features film and TV veteran Cesar Romero, who would become known a few years later for playing the Joker on "Batman." He previously had a run on "Zorro" as Esteban de la Cruz, the trouble-prone uncle of the title character. In the above shot, Ruta Lee's character is having second thoughts about Romero's scheme as she appears to be falling for Burt Reynolds' character. And we get a glimpse of the pond area's most famous stacked rock, Pond Rock, between Lee and Romero.

Pond Rock on dry land, featured in a behind-the-scenes shot for "Wee Willie Winkie" (1937)

One of the best looks at Pond Rock is in the above promotional shot for the 1937 Shirley Temple movie "Wee Willie Winkie." Pond Rock was a feature of Iverson's Western street when the set was in place — from 1945 until about 1957 — and transitioned to being a feature of Iverson Pond in later years. You can read about Pond Rock's appearance in a Three Stooges movie and in "The Virginian," along with other appearances, by clicking here.

Burt Reynolds, left, and Peter Whitney in "Man From Everywhere"

Also appearing in the "Zane Grey" episode was character actor Peter Whitney, who was known for his massive stature. Note the size disparity between Whitney, at the right, and Reynolds. Whitney was a regular in feature films in the '40s and '50s before transitioning to TV and working steadily through the 1960s. He appeared across many genres, but got much of his work in Westerns.

The Sheep Flats sequence provides nice views of a number of key Iverson features, capturing the look of the area during its final years as a filming location. The background of the above shot includes much of the Eucalyptus Grove — often called simply the Grove — along with a portion of the rock formation the Pirate Ship, at the left.

Here's another view of the Pirate Ship, captured in full this time. Also visible here is a small clump of rocks that up until a few years earlier was usually seen in the corral area behind the Livery Stable as part of Iverson Village. I call this clump the Livery Rocks.

The Pirate Ship and Livery Rocks are identified in this version of the shot.

This is what the Pirate Ship looks like today, having survived development. To read more about the Pirate Ship and see additional photos of it, please click here.

At one point in "Man From Everywhere," Burt Reynolds' character, Branch Taylor, surprises Ruta Lee's character by striding over to her and planting a big kiss on her.

His move receives a favorable response, as the two actors appear to have some chemistry. Here again, Pond Rock looms in the background — it's visible in the bottom left corner.

The Reynolds charm was already evident. The "Zane Grey" episode premiered April 13, 1961, soon after Reynolds' 25th birthday.

The romancing was all going on within spittin' distance of the Livery Rocks, seen here behind the young lovebirds. It was rare to get this good a look at the rocks, although they often appeared in the background in shots of the Livery Stable.

A cocky Reynolds admires the view as Ruta Lee walks away — and we get an even better view of the Livery Rocks.

"Gold Raiders" (1951)

Here's a glimpse of the Livery Rocks about 10 years earlier, from the Three Stooges movie "Gold Raiders." The rocks can be seen casting a shadow at the far right of the frame, behind the Livery Stable — I'll highlight them in the next shot.

This version of the "Gold Raiders" shot points out the Livery Rocks and other key features in the photo. As I mentioned, the Livery Rocks were usually in the background when they appeared in productions shot while Iverson Village was in place.

Burt Reynolds at the Fury Set, 1962 — "Gunsmoke" promo shoot

Reynolds would return to the Iverson Ranch — the Upper Iverson this time — in 1962, about a year after his "Zane Grey" appearance, for a memorable photo shoot on the Fury Set to help launch his run as Quint on "Gunsmoke." Additional photos from that shoot — along with a discussion of whether Reynolds shares a particular trait with Billy the Kid — can be seen by clicking here.

Title sequence to the movie "Wells Fargo": Check out the credits "painted" on the giant sandstone boulders of the Iverson Movie Ranch (Here's the video)

Here's a video clip of the title sequence for the 1937 Paramount Western "Wells Fargo," starring Joel McCrea. The opening is kind of fun from an Iverson Movie Ranch standpoint — I think it's the only movie I've seen in which the credits are made to appear as though they're painted on rocks. And the rocks are all at Iverson, mainly in the heavily filmed area around Devil's Pass on the Lower Iverson.

"Wells Fargo" (1937) — opening credits "painted" on rocks

This is an example of what the credits look like. While they're meant to appear as though they're painted on the rocks, I don't think anyone is trying to pass them off as in fact being painted on. The effect appears to be the result of adding just the right amount of rippling and transparency to the type face,

This set of credits appears against the eastern side of Hangdog, shot from above Devil's Pass.

In this shot from "Wells Fargo," which appears between the two sets of credits shown above, the stage is traveling west through Devil's Pass, also known as Vultura's Pass. This was the first shot that I was able to positively ID — I recognized part of Bill Rock here, along with a corner of Hangdog.

"Buffalo Bill Rides Again" (1947)

Here's a shot from a different movie, taken from a similar angle. In this shot from the Richard Arlen-Jennifer Holt Western "Buffalo Bill Rides Again," the riders are entering Devil's Pass from the west and are about to head east through the pass. Bill Rock is the feature that definitively links the two shots.

This version of the "Buffalo Bill Rides Again" shot has the main features identified.

Back to "Wells Fargo," and the same features appearing in "Buffalo Bill Rides Again" are highlighted. I've blogged previously about all these features, and you can find them in the long index at the right of the page. For views of the complex rock feature Hangdog from a number of interesting angles, please click here.

You may have already noticed the "creases" that distinguish Bill Rock in both movies, forming a triangular pattern on the rock. You can see additional angles on Bill Rock in this earlier blog item.

This set of credits appears against the western side of Hangdog, and I was able to get a positive ID even though I had to compare shots of the rock from somewhat different angles.

This is what that same side of Hangdog looks like in recent times.

In this shot I've noted approximately where the credits appear in the "Wells Fargo" shot.

Here's a closer view of Hangdog, zeroing in on the area featured in the "Wells Fargo" shot.

Note the two distinctive rock areas, designated "A" and "B."

Here are the same areas as they appear in the credit shot from "Wells Fargo."

Director Frank Lloyd, who also produced "Wells Fargo," gets his own distinctive credit near the end of the title sequence. I have not been able to pinpoint this rock, but I have a feeling it's also somewhere around Devil's Pass.

The TV series "Branded" reveals another side of the Fury Barn House — and Lassie's Mom

"Branded" (1965) — Fury Barn House, on the Upper Iverson

One episode of the fondly remembered Western TV series "Branded" — Chuck Connors' follow-up to his long run as "The Rifleman" — had a substantial shoot on the Upper Iverson. The screen shot above, presenting a rarely seen angle on the house that was a part of the Fury Set, comes from the episode "The Vindicators."

Claude Akins comes a-callin' on June Lockhart at the Fury Barn House

"The Vindicators" featured guest appearances by Claude Akins and June Lockhart, both of whom were already TV fixtures by the time the "Branded" episode premiered, on Jan. 31, 1965. It was only the second episode of the series, which went on to a two-season run — 48 episodes — on NBC, airing from 1965-1966.

June Lockhart on the Upper Iverson — on the porch of the Fury Barn House

Lockhart was between two celebrated TV gigs at the time. Earlier in 1964, the same year "The Vindicators" was produced, Lockhart wrapped up her six seasons as "Lassie's Mom" — Ruth Martin, adoptive mother of the perpetually wellbound Timmy on "Lassie." She would soon launch into space for her other iconic TV role, playing Mrs. Robinson — Maureen — for three seasons on "Lost in Space," from 1965-1968.

Claude Akins on the Fury Set

Akins had been a regular on both the big screen and the little one since the early 1950s. His guest appearances on early TV shows are too numerous to do justice to here, but just to whet your appetite, Akins popped up on "Dragnet," "Adventures of Superman," "My Friend Flicka," "Whirlybirds," "Have Gun — Will Travel," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Perry Mason," "Maverick," "Cheyenne," "Bronco," "The Restless Gun," "Bat Masterson" ... and that's just in the 1950s.

"The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo" — Mills Watson, left,

Claude Akins and Brian Kerwin

Akins would later pad his TV resume as Sheriff Lobo on two NBC sitcoms: "B.J. and the Bear," where he helped the show get off the ground with an arc in 1978-1979, and its spinoff "The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo," where Akins stepped up to the lead role.

I'm reluctant to blame Akins, who was a fine actor, but "Misadventures," despite surviving for two seasons on NBC, from 1979-1981, became known as one of TV's worst shows. TV Guide eventually codified that sentiment when it released its "50 Worst TV Shows of All Time" in 2002, ranking "Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo" at No. 36.

"Branded" (1965) — Fury Set

The above shot from "The Vindicators" includes a portion of the Fury Barn, along with the edge of the Fury Barn House and part of its picket fence, viewed from the east. This is a fairly uncommon angle on the Fury Barn, which is usually seen from the opposite side.

The background hills to the west include Pyramid Peak and the Dragon's Back, as noted above. Those are my names for the features, which are commonly seen in the backgrounds of productions shot on the Iverson Movie Ranch. That part of the Santa Susana Mountains to the northwest of the San Fernando Valley is also known as the Rocky Peak area, but Rocky Peak itself is farther north.

"Frontier Doctor" TV series (1959)

This is a more typical view of the barn, as seen in the Rex Allen TV series "Frontier Doctor." In this shot the Fury Barn House is hidden behind the barn.

"The Gambler Wore a Gun" (1961)

This shot from the Jim Davis B-Western "The Gambler Wore a Gun" has a similar angle on the Fury Barn, but in this case a portion of the Fury Barn House can be seen peeking out from behind the barn.

"Cimarron Strip" (1968)

Here's another view of the Fury Barn, in color this time but again showing mainly its western side. The shot comes from the "Fool's Gold" episode of the TV show "Cimarron Strip," which premiered Jan. 11, 1968.

"Fury" TV series (1955): The beginnings of the Fury Set

The barn was built in 1955 for the TV series "Fury," with the Fury Barn House added three years later. The set as a whole, which also included the corral and a cabin west of the corral that was built in 1958, is generally known as the Fury Set or the Fury Ranch Set. However, the house next to the barn, the "Fury Barn House," was seen only sparingly in "Fury," appearing as the family home of young Packy Lambert during the show's final two seasons.

1959 aerial photograph of the Fury Set and Midway House areas

A house located a short distance south of the Fury Set, which I call the Midway House, was used as the main family home — where the Newtons lived — on the TV show "Fury." The 1959 aerial photo above shows the main Fury Set to the north, along with the Midway House to the south.

It's worth noting the location of what is probably a movie truck on the Fury Set, which happened to be caught when the 1959 aerial photo was taken. The truck is parked near the Fury Barn House, where the truck, along with the house, would have been out of view of cameras shooting the barn and the western end of the Fury Set. Another truck appears to be parked near the Midway House.

"The Gambler Wore a Gun" (1961) — Midway House, right, and the Fury Set

This shot from "The Gambler Wore a Gun" provides a view of parts of Midway House and the Fury Set in the same frame. A portion of Midway House fills up the right half of the photo, while the Fury Barn and Fury Barn House can be seen in the background at the left. For better pictures of Midway House, please see this previous blog post.

"Have Gun — Will Travel" (1958): The Fury Barn House

This is one of the earliest appearances by the Fury Barn House, which saw action in movies and TV shows starting in 1958 and continuing through the 1960s. The house, which was not filmed frequently, was typically shot from angles similar to the one used above, showcasing its southwest face.

"Have Gun — Will Travel" episode "The Lady" (premiered Nov. 15, 1958)

The porch area, noted here in red, is part of the house's southeast face and is featured in screen shots from the TV show "Branded" seen at the top of this post. Oat Mountain, to the north, appears in the background.

The Fury Barn House made a nice appearance near the end of the four-season run of "The Fugitive." A corner of the house can be seen above in the background of a title card for the episode "The Shattered Silence," which premiered April 11, 1967. It was the last episode before the show's famous two-part finale.

"The Fugitive" (1967)

That's David Janssen, still on the run as Dr. Richard Kimble, arriving at the Fury Barn House.

Here's a good look at the southwest face of the Fury Barn House as it appeared in "The Fugitive."

Burt Reynolds at the Fury Barn House (1962)

The Fury Barn House also surfaced in a 1962 Burt Reynolds photo shoot for "Gunsmoke." You can see additional photos from the shoot, which included pics of Reynolds at the Fury Barn, by clicking here.

"Black Saddle" TV series (1959)

This is a shot that only a film location researcher could love, as it's a bit of an aesthetic mess. But I did find a lot to love here, once I realized that the Fury Barn and Fury Barn House appear in the background. Besides placing the Fury Set in the wider context of the Upper Iverson, the shot underscores that the rarely seen southeast face of the Fury Barn House may have been more substantial than its more frequently shot southwest face.

This version of the shot points out the manmade structures of the Fury Set in the background. Sadly, the Fury Set was destroyed in the massive Southern California wildfires of fall 1970.

Chuck Connors and Claude Akins (1965)