Why we love old movie locations — especially the Iverson Movie Ranch

For an introduction to this blog and to the growing interest in historic filming locations such as the Iverson Movie Ranch — the most widely filmed outdoor location in movie and TV history — please read the site's introductory post, found here.
• Your feedback is appreciated — please leave comments on any of the posts.
• To find specific rock features or look up movie titles, TV shows, actors and production people, see the "LABELS" section — the long alphabetical listing on the right side of the page, below.
• To join the MAILING LIST, send me an email at iversonfilmranch@aol.com and let me know you'd like to sign up.
• I've also begun a YouTube channel for Iverson Movie Ranch clips and other movie location videos, which you can get to by clicking here.
• Readers can email the webmaster at iversonfilmranch@aol.com
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Sunday, December 20, 2020

Guess where the "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian" has been shooting — right here in the Santa Susana Mountains!

"The Mandalorian": The latest disturbance in the Force

The tourism industry in the Santa Susana Pass may be in for a boom in the near future, because we just nailed down a filming location that fans of the "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian" have been eager to find — and it's right here in the Santa Susana Mountains, tucked away between Chatsworth and Simi Valley.

"The Mandalorian," Chapter 14: "The Tragedy" (premiered Dec. 4, 2020)

I received the above screen shot from the recent episode "The Tragedy" from "Mandalorian" fan Scott Lechuga, who asked whether I might recognize the location. I didn't, but I did recognize the look of the "Chatsworth Formation," a geological phenomenon that runs through the former Iverson Ranch and much of Chatsworth.

The same location as it appears on Google Maps

After some poking around, I was able to match up the ridgeline seen in the "Mandalorian" screen shot. The filming area was along the Rocky Peak Trail, northwest of Chatsworth.

Identifying features in the ridgeline

Some of the markers along the ridgeline that help identify the location are noted here.

The same features can be found in "The Mandalorian"

Here are the same markers in the "Mandalorian" screen shot. The alignment is slightly off because it's impossible to duplicate the angle on Google Maps. But it's close enough that you should be able to tell it's the same place.

"The Mandalorian": Three key rocks at ground level

Closer to the ground, we can find additional markers that also match up, enabling us to further define the filming location. Notice the group of three rocks highlighted here.

The three rocks turn up in the Google Maps shot

The same three rocks can be seen in the Google Maps photo, although here they're much farther to the right in the shot, and once again, the angle isn't quite the same.

The three rocks appear near the center of the frame
 
Shifting the angle on Google Maps, we can get a better look at the three rocks, seen here near the center of the frame. This shot also shows the proximity of the "Mandalorian" rocks to the Rocky Peak Trail.

The shooting location is just off Rocky Peak Trail
 
The shot more closely matches the action on the ground in the "Mandalorian" screen shot, although again it's not exactly the same angle.

Google Maps shot showing more of the terrain in the "Mandalorian" screen shot
 
Examining still another Google angle, we again see the three key rocks, but here we can also see much of the rest of the terrain captured in the "Mandalorian" screen shot. This should enable us to match up a few more rocks.
 
One of the more distinctive rocks in the "Mandalorian" shot, Rock "A"

One rock in the "Mandalorian" screen shot that cries out to be found is Rock "A," which almost appears to be wearing a helmet out of "Star Wars." Also note Rocks "B" and "C."

Rocks A, B and C on Google Maps

Even though Rock "A" is not as well defined in this Google Maps shot as we might want it to be, it's clear that it matches "The Mandalorian," as do Rocks "B" and "C."
 
"The Tragedy": Stormtroopers romp around Rocky Peak Park
 
Here's a shot from "The Mandalorian" showing some Stormtroopers up to no good in the mountains. This shot can be matched up with photos from the Rocky Peak filming location.
 
The same background hills, viewed from the Rocky Peak Trail

This photo shows the view to the southwest of the filming site, including the 118 Freeway and, beyond it, Santa Susana Pass Road, running across the frame horizontally.
 
Notice the background hill circled in yellow.
 
The same hill can be seen in the "Mandalorian" shot.

Filming area for "The Mandalorian"

The "Mandalorian" shooting area is located well up the Rocky Peak Trail, as indicated here. If you're planning to go check it out, be forewarned that the trail is like straight up —  bring water and a strong pair of legs.
 
Thumbs-up, Scott!

 
I want to give a big shout-out to Scott Lechuga for getting the ball rolling on what turned out to be a fun location hunt — and a fruitful one!
 
Since we first published the filming location in December 2020, a number of "Mandalorian" fans have been making the trek to the site and are posting videos and photos that expand on the sighting. One of the best can be found below — a YouTube video first posted by All About Los Angeles — check it out!
 

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Rare photo from Bison Archives redefines what we know
about the history of the Iverson Movie Ranch

The photo that rewrote Iverson Movie Ranch history

A photo surfaced recently from the depths of the incredible Bison Archives that just about made my head explode — in a good way — as it instantly changed what we know about the early history of the Iverson Movie Ranch.

Linda Arvidson, aka Linda Griffith, as "Everyman"

The photo is believed to be a still from the long-lost and long-forgotten 1913 silent movie "Everyman," which stars Linda Arvidson in the title role. That's right: Linda plays a man in the movie — Everyman.

Linda Arvidson — One of Hollywood's earliest stars

Arvidson, also known as Linda Griffith, was married to D.W. Griffith from 1906-1936, and became one of the fledgling movie industry's first screen stars. Linda and D.W. were separated at the time "Everyman" was produced, and the famed director was not involved with the movie.

Kinemacolor ad running in Moving Picture World, 1913

The movie was released by Kinemacolor — and the company's odd name accurately conveys its business model. Kinemacolor was a pioneer in color processing and was producing color movies more than 100 years ago.

"Two Clowns" (1908): An example of Kinemacolor's early color film process

The film version of "Everyman" was apparently lost, so we don't know what it looked like. But the above shot from the movie "Two Clowns" gives us a glimpse of the Kinemacolor process all the way back in 1908.

"Everyman": The first proof of filming on the Iverson Ranch prior to 1917

The fact that "Everyman" can no longer be viewed intensifies the historical importance of the Bison Archives photo, which confirms for the first time that movies were being made on the Iverson Ranch by 1913. 

Karl and Augusta Iverson (1888): Founders of the Iverson Movie Ranch

I've always kind of figured that was the case, since word-of-mouth from the Iverson family — not always a reliable source — has consistently adhered to the story that filming began on the ranch around 1912 or 1913.

"The Silent Man" (1917): William S. Hart and Vola Vale on the Iverson Ranch

 
But as a historian, I need to see proof. And until the "Everyman" photo surfaced, the earliest proof I had of filming at Iverson went back only as far as 1917, when "The Silent Man" and a few other surviving films were shot.

"Everyman" (1913): Photo taken from the interior of the Garden of the Gods

 
Taken looking north from what would later come to be known as the Garden of the Gods, the "Everyman" photo contains enough landmarks to enable us to confirm the location.

The same location in 2020
 
I went to the site recently to see whether it was still possible to duplicate the shot. It was harder than I expected — things had shifted around a bit since 1913 — but I came reasonably close.
 
Shrubbery dominates the area in 1913

I was amused to find out that the lush foliage at the bottom of the 1913 photo is still there in 2020. Not the same plants, of course, but presumably some descendants of those plants from more than a century ago.

Laurel sumac

I hear from people who know more than I do that these plants are laurel sumac, which is prominently distributed throughout much of Southern California — and is currently running rampant all over the former Iverson Ranch.

The same foliage remains in place on the Iverson Movie Ranch in 2020

A wider shot from my recent visit to the site shows that the laurel sumac also remains prominent in the part of the Garden of the Gods where the "Everyman" photo was taken. That's all laurel sumac in the foreground.
 
"The Adventures of Dollie" (1908): One of almost 150 D.W. Griffith-Linda Arvidson collaborations

 
Linda Arvidson is an unfairly overlooked figure in early Hollywood. She worked with her husband on close to 150 movies, going back to "The Adventures of Dollie" in 1908 — the first movie D.W. Griffith directed.
 
Early Kinemacolor projector

 
But by the time Griffith and Arvidson were transitioning to the West Coast, their marriage had fizzled out and they were following divergent paths. They separated in 1912, just as Griffith's star was on the rise at Biograph, and Arvidson hitched her wagon to Kinemacolor.
 
"The Birth of a Nation" (D.W. Griffith, 1915)

 
Griffith went on to become one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of the industry, although his legacy has been tainted by his warm embrace of the Ku Klux Klan in his 1915 opus "The Birth of a Nation."
 
Linda Arvidson in "The Scarlet Letter" (Kinemacolor, 1913)


Arvidson's career, meanwhile, was rapidly winding down. She appeared in just a handful of additional films before quitting acting in 1916.
 
"Charity" (1916): Screenplay by Linda Arvidson


Arvidson, who sometimes billed herself as Linda A. Griffith, also wrote screenplays, including "Charity," in which she also starred. Released in October 1916, the Mutual Film feature marked her final screen role.
 
"When the Movies Were Young," first published in 1925


It wasn't until 1936 that Arvidson and Griffith officially divorced, when Griffith decided to remarry. In the interim, Arvidson published a well-regarded account of early Hollywood in her memoir, "When the Movies Were Young."
 
Linda Arvidson on the Iverson Movie Ranch, no later than 1913

 
Because "Everyman," like the rest of Kinemacolor's output, has been lost, nailing down the origin of the photo can be tricky. But we know it's Linda Arvidson and is a Kinemacolor photo, and Arvidson made her last movie for Kinemacolor in 1913.
 
"Judith of Bethulia" (D.W. Griffith, 1914): Filmed in Chatsworth in 1912-1913


Coincidentally, around the same time Arvidson was filming on the Iverson Ranch, her estranged husband was also making movies in Chatsworth. A few miles to the south, in the Lake Manor area, D.W. Griffith was at work on "Judith of Bethulia" in 1912 and early 1913, a shoot that you can read about in this post from 2019.

Sunday, November 1, 2020

She'll always be a rock star on the Iverson Movie Ranch —
Farewell to Rhonda Fleming


Rhonda Fleming (1923-2020)

I heard the sad news recently that Rhonda Fleming, one of the great screen sirens of the '40s and '50s, a really nice lady and an actress with plenty of Iverson Movie Ranch roots, died Oct. 14. She was 97.

Rhonda visits Rhonda Fleming Rock in "Tennessee's Partner" (1955)

If you've been following the Iverson Movie Ranch Blog for a while, you may be aware that there's a rock on the former location ranch that's known as "Rhonda Fleming Rock." 

Rhonda Fleming Rock may not be as glamorous as one might expect a rock named after the legendary redheaded bombshell to be, but Rhonda's appearance with the rock in "Tennessee's Partner" in 1955 marked the height of the unusual sandstone monolith's Hollywood career.

Back in 2014 I published a post about Rhonda and her rock, including directions for finding the rock along with a video clip of its appearance in "Tennessee's Partner." You can click here to see that post

Rhonda Fleming

A few years ago I sent word to Rhonda about the naming of Rhonda Fleming Rock, and I heard back from her assistant, who said Rhonda was excited to have a rock named after her. That puts Rhonda in some elite company, among the few celebrities who actually knew their names would be carried on in perpetuity by famous movie rocks.

Lone Ranger Rock

Today Rhonda Fleming Rock is one of the most popular, albeit slightly elusive, attractions for visitors to the Iverson Movie Ranch — especially those who want more after they see the "superstar" rocks like Sphinx and Tower Rock. Many fans of old Westerns are first drawn to the ranch by its ultimate rock star, Lone Ranger Rock.

Rhonda Fleming Rock following the Sesnon Fire in 2008

I think of Rhonda Fleming Rock as one of the movie ranch's many hidden gems. Here's a shot I took of it soon after it survived the devastating Sesnon Fire, also known as the Porter Ranch Fire, back in 2008.

"The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1958) — Rhonda Fleming Rock on the left

The rock did make a few appearances apart from its star turn with Rhonda Fleming. Here it is in an episode of the Wyatt Earp TV show called "My Husband," which premiered June 10, 1958.

Rhonda Fleming

But what really gave Rhonda Fleming Rock its star power was Rhonda Fleming herself, and she will be sadly missed.

Saturday, October 17, 2020

Hidden for more than 80 years, a secret set location
where Shirley Temple starred in John Ford's "Wee Willie Winkie"
has been discovered on the Iverson Movie Ranch

"Wee Willie Winkie" (1937): The Iverson Movie Ranch comes of age

Set in colonial India, John Ford's 1937 movie "Wee Willie Winkie" probably did more than any other production to raise the profile of the Iverson Movie Ranch and help push it toward "mega-location" status.

Shirley Temple and Victor McLaglen on the Iverson Ranch for "Wee Willie Winkie"

The diminutive Shirley Temple, a mere 8 years old during the film's production, was at the height of her popularity, riding out a four-year reign (1935-1938) as the No. 1 box-office draw in the world.

Director John Ford

Ford was no slouch either. Most of his signature films were still to come — "Stagecoach" and "The Grapes of Wrath" among them, both to be filmed on the Iverson Ranch. But 20 years into his directorial career, his ascent into the pantheon of great American film directors was already being charted.

Ford poses with one of what would eventually be four Oscars for Best Director

Ford had just won his first of four Best Director Oscars the previous year for "The Informer," giving him added leverage as he was being courted to direct "Wee Willie Winkie." 

John Ford tolerates Shirley Temple on the "Wee Willie Winkie" set

In an effort to entice Ford — who was known to be less than enthusiastic about child actors — to agree to take on the high-stakes project, 20th Century-Fox loosened its purse strings for the movie.

Cesar Romero as Khoda Khan, in his mountain headquarters with Shirley Temple

Among the enticements were a big-name cast — including Ford's pal McLaglen along with Cesar Romero, June Lang and C. Aubrey Smith — and at least equally important, a sizable budget for building sets.

Ford's sprawling India Fort (production still from "Wee Willie Winkie")

On the latter point, Ford didn't need much encouragement. He dove right into what would become a four-month construction project, building not one but two expansive sets on the Iverson Ranch — the India Fort at Sheep Flats and Khan's mountain stronghold about a quarter-mile to the southwest, in the Iverson Gorge.

Looking southwest through the gate from Khan's mountain stronghold (production still)

The big-budget project was tracked closely in trade magazines from pre-production through filming in early 1937, generating attention within the industry for the Iverson Movie Ranch.

Big turnout for the "Wee Willie Winkie" opening at the Carthay Circle theater in L.A.

 
When the movie went into wide release in July 1937, it was met with a reasonably warm reception by critics, but more to the point, throngs of ticket buyers showed up at the box office.

Filming the India Fort for "Wee Willie Winkie" (Jerry England collection)

 
One thing the critics especially liked was the location work done on the Iverson Movie Ranch. In a review by Variety, the publication cited the movie's "realistic and elaborate backgrounds." The film also received an Oscar nomination for art direction.

The India Fort in 1937 (Iverson family photo)

Both the India Fort and the mountain stronghold have been discussed previously on this blog. You can click here for an in-depth look at the mountain stronghold and surrounding Gorge rocks, published in 2019, and if you're truly hardcore, click here to read a post from 2014 that includes more photos of the India Fort.

Khoda Khan's mountain fortress in the Iverson Gorge

"Wee Willie Winkie's" high profile, along with the major role played by the Iverson Movie Ranch — and an upswing in the film industry as a whole in the 1930s — added up to a surge in business for the movie ranch.

The Iverson Movie Ranch doubles in size in May 1937

The increased attention helped convince the Iverson family that it was time to expand their operation. In May 1937, just a few weeks after production wrapped on "Winkie" and even before the movie opened, the Iversons purchased 160 acres of land immediately north of their existing property, doubling the size of the ranch.

The newly acquired land became what we think of today as the Upper Iverson, and the original 160-acre Iverson Ranch would come to be known as the Lower Iverson.

Locations of the two main sets for "Wee Willie Winkie" on the Lower Iverson

Zeroing in on the Lower Iverson in its present-day configuration, we can identify the two locations where the main sets for "Wee Willie Winkie" were built in late 1936 and early 1937.

And at last we can tell a part of the "Wee Willie Winkie" story that has never been told: A third set was also built, but its location remained undiscovered for more than 80 years.

The "third set" for "Wee Willie Winkie" (Iverson family photo)


An Iverson family photo from late 1936 or early 1937 features the third set, with an unknown woman standing in front of it. In the movie this set served as Khan's headquarters, but in the real world it was built some distance from the rest of his mountain fortress, near the edge of a cliff.
 
The Iverson Gorge, circa 1937 (Iverson family photo)

 
Other family photos from the 1930s provide additional context. This photo of the Iverson Gorge, again from the period when "Wee Willie Winkie" was filming, may have been taken to showcase the new road through the Gorge.
 
The new "Steep Canyon Road" through the Gorge


The deep gorge along today's Redmesa Road was called the "Steep Canyon" by the Iverson family, and they referred to the road through it as "Steep Canyon Road." 
 
Joe Iverson builds the Steep Canyon Road, ca. 1930s
 
Construction of the Steep Canyon Road was one of the many projects of Joe Iverson, the movie ranch's industrious and singularly hands-on head honcho, who ran the location ranch for the better part of six decades.
 
Stone buttressing on Joe Iverson's new road: Every rock in place

 
The road had recently been completed around the time "Wee Willie Winkie" was on site. You can tell it was still pretty new in 1937 because the stone buttressing is all perfectly lined up.
 
"Pack Train" (Gene Autry, 1953): One of the classic shots of the road and the buttressing


When Gene Autry drove his "Pack Train" down the same road about 16 years later, the road was still in decent shape. But already, a few of the stones had begun to migrate down the slope.

Notice in particular the section of stone buttressing outlined here in the 1953 photo.

This is the same section as it appeared in 1937, still nicely aligned. You should be able to click on any of the photos to see a larger version.
 
The surviving buttressing as it appears today
 
Much of the stone buttressing remains in place today, although it has been falling apart for 80-plus years, and like most of us, these days it's showing its age.

The section highlighted in "Pack Train" and in the 1937 photo is outlined again here.
 
Location of Khoda Khan's mountain stronghold
 
Looking again at the widest version of the 1937 photo, we can just make out the towers of Khoda Khan's mountain fortress toward the left.

A closer look at Khan's fortress

The clarity suffers as we zoom in on that part of the photo, but you may be able to spot the main tower just to the right of center. A second tower can be found some distance to its left, although it's harder to see.

Khan's stronghold in the Iverson Gorge (Iverson family photo)

 
Another family photo taken from a slightly different angle provides a better look at the two main towers, along with several of the rock features of the Upper Gorge.
 
Behind the scenes on "Wee Willie Winkie": Khan's mountain fortress

Promotional photos and production stills for "Wee Willie Winkie" offer a much more detailed look at the set. This one shows the main tower, just left of center, along with a "distressed" tower toward the right.

The Iverson Gorge in 1937: Two separate "Wee Willie Winkie" sets
 
In the wider photo, the top of the tower from the "third set" is visible — just barely — peeking out over some rocks near the top of a hill. The photo shows that the set was positioned well apart from the main fortress.

The third set, ca. 1937: Khan's headquarters, looking north (Iverson family photo)
 
This Iverson family photo provides a good look at the hilltop tower, along with a stairway next to it. An unknown woman dressed in dark clothes can be seen posing on the stairs, although she's easy to miss.

Several elements of the set are noted here, including a facade in the bottom right corner. The main building served as Khoda Khan's headquarters, which may help explain why the hidden location remained a secret for so long. Audiences were supposed to think the headquarters building was inside the mountain fortress.

Here are a few other details that can be seen in the photo, depending to some extent on your imagination. I don't think the monkey head is really there, but I figured I'd point it out anyway.

While we're at it, these are some of the rock features seen in the photo. Sticky Bun, Jaunty Sailor and the Triangle Brand have all been discussed on the blog, and can be found in the long index at the right.

A distinctive pointed rock helps mark the former location of the "Wee Willie Winkie" set

Which brings us to this beauty — one of the Iverson Movie Ranch's hidden gems. For all its star quality, the pointed rock was rarely filmed. I suppose it comes down to location, location and location, and ... it's not in the best location for a movie rock.
 
"Roarin' Lead": The pointed rock's career highlight? (Jerry England collection)


The pointed rock, which I usually refer to as "that pointed rock," or ... "the pointed rock up by Jaunty Sailor," has found its way into only a handful of productions. Before it turned up in the midst of the hidden "Wee Willie Winkie" set, the rock's appearance in this promo still for "Roarin' Lead" may have been its best moment.
 
"We Too Receive" (Cathedral Films, 1944): The pointed rock points the way


But I'll always be grateful to the pointed rock for helping to identify the Iverson Ranch as the filming location for the obscure Bible movie "We Too Receive." The rock is just about the only recognizable Iverson feature in the movie.
 
The pointed rock in the 21st century


The rock has survived, tempting me to make a lot of "point" puns — It's still on point, it remains sharp as a tack, etc. I'll let it go, but I do want to "point" out: Since I never got around to giving this underappreciated gem a "real" name, if you have any suggestions, please comment or email me and we'll try to tie up that loose end.
 
The pointed rock and the tower location in 2020 — retrofitted to black and white

 
I mentioned that the rock is in a bad location, and that's still true today. It's not simply that it's hard to get to and hard to find, but its location near the edge of a cliff makes expeditions to the site somewhat treacherous.
 
"Captain America" (1944): This could be you!
 
Of course, the word "treacherous" can have the opposite of the desired effect, and a certain faction out there will immediately try to go there. Suit yourself, but if you plummet to your death or worse, I did warn you. 
 
Approximating the tower location in 2020


The main reason I wanted to bring up the perilous nature of the location is because I found it somewhat shocking that John Ford's "Wee Willie Winkie" set builders opted to put up a tower in that particular spot, of all places.

Construction remnants: A concrete guide that once held a support cable


But build it there they did, and based on evidence that can still be found at the location — such as hunks of concrete that apparently held support cables in place — it was a bit of an engineering marvel.
 
A groove in the rock, presumably used to secure a cable

 
Other rocks in the set area also retain scars from their tower trauma of 1937. I can't fully explain the engineering, but clearly the rocks were altered so they could be incorporated into the support system for the tower. 

Another rock, another groove

Artifacts from the tower — and especially from its supporting cables — can be found throughout the area. Here movie historian Cliff Roberts points out another of the apparent cable seats in the rocks.

In the area where the base of the tower once sat, we can still find traces of construction material.

Next to the former tower location, where the staircase stood, we can see the nails that were used to fasten the stair structure into position, still sticking out of the rocks.

Also remaining as artifacts from the tower construction are areas where the crew carved notches into the rocks to help fit the tower into place.
 
A rare appearance by the tower in "Wee Willie Winkie" — seen from Khan's headquarters


Considering all the effort that went into creating the tower set, I was surprised to find that the tower barely made it into the movie. My theory is that when all was said and done, nobody really wanted to be up there — and I'm sure the producers didn't want to have to deal with the liability if the thing collapsed and killed a bunch of extras.

Grandpa turns up at the headquarters of his bitter enemy to retrieve his granddaughter

This brief shot of the tower, seen through the netted ceiling of Khan's headquarters, is one of only about two shots of the tower in the movie. The shot comes near the end of the movie after Winkie has dealt a blow to the war effort.

The only shot of the tower with soldiers in it
 
They did manage to talk a few extras into posing at the top of the tower, weapons drawn, for a few seconds. It wouldn't surprise me if the soldiers needed a change of underwear following this shot.
 
Inside Khan's headquarters, the rebel leader, right, confers with his chieftains


The inside of the headquarters building is a different story. The bulk of the action shot at the hidden filming location takes place inside this room — and the backgrounds confirm that the interiors were filmed on location.
 
The room is the interior of the headquarters building, which we got a good look at in the old Iverson family photo.
 
The chieftains are easily amused
 
The room is essentially Khan's bedroom, but it also functions as a place where his chieftains can hang around and laugh at dumb stuff. I am pretty sure they were all smoking something.
 
Wee Willie Winkie greets Khoda Khan at his secret headquarters
 
Once Shirley Temple shows up, her Winkie character becomes the main focal point of the hilarity.

Shirley Temple tells off the chieftains
 
At one point Shirley gets so fed up with the chieftains over all the dumb stuff they're laughing at, she throws her banana on the floor. She also tells them they're all mean — which only makes them laugh that much harder.
 
Winkie and Khan have a heart-to-heart

The bedroom area is also where Shirley Temple tries to talk Khan out of waging war against her grandfather.
 
In the background is a familiar landmark in the Santa Susana Mountains, west of the Iverson Ranch. "Boat Hill," as I call it, is part of the Rocky Peak hiking area.
 
Khan's men escort Mohammet Dihn to the wall, to be thrown to his death


A mildly disturbing sequence takes place just outside the mountaintop headquarters, where some of Khan's men throw a guy over a wall, presumably to his death — much to the disapproval of Wee Willie Winkie.
 
Willie Fung, as Mohammet Dihn, announces he has brought the colonel's granddaughter to Khan
 
The guy who gets the heave-ho is Mohammet Dihn, played by Willie Fung. His "crime" was apparently bringing Wee Willie Winkie to Khan, which hardly seems fair since it all worked out really well — for everyone except Dihn.

Fung had also worked with Shirley Temple the previous year, in "Stowaway."

I'm not 100% sure, but I believe the wall over which Fung is flung — and yes, I purposely constructed the sentence so I could say it that way — is the facade that was mentioned previously in the old family photo.

Off you go!

 
On a recent visit to the site, I made an attempt to match up the background from the "Fung gets flung" sequence with features visible to the south of the Iverson Ranch.
 
The view from the Khan headquarters site in 2020, looking south

 
I didn't manage to get just the right angle, but I was in the ballpark.
 
These are probably the two best markers in the background. The Chatsworth Reservoir was decommissioned in 1972, and the site where it used to be is now the Chatsworth Nature Preserve.
 
In "Wee Willie Winkie" we catch a glimpse of the reservoir when it still had water in it, and we get a decent look at the rocky hillside above the railroad.


It's movie time! You can see the entire sequence at Khan's headquarters in the 8-minute clip below, which I've posted before. The clip includes BOTH of the major "flingings" — Willie Fung and the banana. Enjoy!