Kris Kristofferson's Silvertown adventure: How the legendary singer-songwriter helped document Corriganville "between the fires"

Corriganville in its heyday, ca. 1950s: A thriving movie location and tourist attraction

Some readers may already know that Silvertown, the famed Western street at Corriganville in Simi Valley, Calif., burned down in fall 1970 in the Clampitt Fire, part of the enormous and wildly destructive Newhall-Malibu Fire.

 

"Have Gun Will Travel": Silvertown in 1957, overseen by "Gorilla Rock"

It's not as well-known that it took two fires, almost a decade apart, to finish off Silvertown. Several of the buildings at the northeast end of town survived the Clampitt Fire, only to be destroyed by another fire in 1979.

 

Corriganville's "Silvertown" today: The foundations survive, along with Gorilla Rock

If you visit Corriganville today, you will still find Gorilla Rock, and below it the foundations of what was once Silvertown. These foundations are all that has remained of the old Western town since 1979.

 

"Vigilante Force" (filmed in 1975, released in 1976): Silvertown "between the fires"

Lucky for us, what was left of Silvertown after the Clampitt Fire — and essentially what Corriganville looked like throughout the 1970s — was documented in a largely forgotten movie called "Vigilante Force."

 

"Vigilante Force" — great for locations, not so great for plot, screenplay, etc.

The fact that the movie is largely forgotten is probably just as well. Tastes vary, of course, but as movies go, "Vigilante Force" isn't exactly "Citizen Kane."

 

One of the many rare shots of 1970s Corriganville in "Vigilante Force"

But as a historical document peppered with unique and fascinating shots of Corriganville at a time when almost no filming was going on there, "Vigilante Force" deserves some kind of special Oscar.

 

Kris Kristofferson and Jan-Michael Vincent at Corriganville's "Barn No. 2"

The movie stars Kris Kristofferson and Jan-Michael Vincent as brothers who have what turns out to be a pretty significant beef with each other. But the real star of the movie, as I see it, is Corriganville.

 

Silvertown in the '50s, looking northeast

To get a better sense of what Corriganville was like in the '70s, let's start with a bird's-eye view of Silvertown, the movie ranch's Western street, when it was still going strong in the 1950s, before the fires.

 

Key features of Corriganville's "Silvertown"

Some of the key features in the shot are identified here — including Barn No. 2 and the Hotel, at the northeast end of town. Of the features noted here, only Ray Corrigan's house was destroyed in the 1970 fire.

 

A wide view of Silvertown in the 1950s, looking southeast

Now we've turned the angle around so we're looking southeast. From this angle we see a wide shot of Silvertown.

 

Buildings destroyed by the Clampitt Fire

As you can see in this shot, most of Silvertown was destroyed in the 1970 fire.

 

Buildings that survived Clampitt, but would be destroyed nine years later

The buildings at the northeast end of town survived, including the Horse Barn, also known as "Barn No. 2," and the Hotel, which was said to be a working soundstage. The surviving structures would all perish nine years later.

 

"Vigilante Force": The surviving buildings, filmed in 1975

Some of the best views we have of the Clampitt survivors are in "Vigilante Force."

 

These sets survived long enough for a last hurrah in "Vigilante Force"

The main surviving buildings seen in this shot are Barn No. 2, the Hotel and one side of the "Mexican Street." The southwest side of the Mexican Street burned down in the 1970 fire.

 

Remnants of Silvertown — still in place today

Also visible in the shot are the foundations of many of the Silvertown buildings that were destroyed in the 1970 fire. These foundations still look pretty much the same today.

 

Buildings that once stood on those foundations, circa 1958

Most of the foundations highlighted in the previous shot belonged to these structures at the southwest end of Silvertown. These buildings were fixtures of both Corriganville's filming business and its weekend tourist trade.

 

Kristofferson hangs out at the hotel drinking beer

The Silvertown building that gets the most screen time in "Vigilante Force" is the hotel, where Kristofferson's character, a decorated war hero, holes up for much of the movie.

 

Kristofferson and his Vietnam buddies bask in the ambiance of 1970s Corriganville

The hotel set had already deteriorated by the time the movie filmed in 1975, and the dress code was no longer being enforced.

 

Now appearing on the front steps of the Silvertown Hotel: Bernadette Peters!

Bernadette Peters also hangs out at the hotel, occasionally dressing up like a cop and playing guitar.

 

The first of several weird sightings of people in red marching band uniforms

One of the fun things about seeing the hotel in "Vigilante Force" is that even though the place was a wreck at the time, you could still see bits and pieces of how it used to look in better days.

 

What's left of the decor from the filming era still adorns the front of the hotel

For example, check out the decorative "white picket fence" treatment highlighted here — and try to ignore the people in the red marching band uniforms.

 

"Five Guns to Tombstone" (1961): The hotel in better shape, with the wooden strips intact

Here's a tiny bit of that same exterior decor item in a "someone's about to git strung up" scene from "Five Guns to Tombstone," filmed about 15 years before "Vigilante Force" — before the hotel began falling apart.

 

"The Young Guns" (1956): Russ Tamblyn and the decorative wooden strips

An even earlier Silvertown shoot, for the Western "The Young Guns," again showcases the hotel front's decorative treatment — with the wooden strips painted a darker shade back then.

 

The hotel's storefront facade, in "The Young Guns"

Also visible here is what might be described as a "storefront" facade on this part of the hotel building. Twenty years later, a dilapidated version of this storefront area will turn up in "Vigilante Force."

 

As usual, people congregate near the fridge

The rundown storefront area as resurrected for "Vigilante Force" has been downgraded to more like a screened-in front patio, but it has all the essentials — namely a refrigerator and canned goods.

 

Inside looking out — with a famous movie tree just outside

The movie really commits to this weird, trashy foyer, even shooting inside the junked-up room. This shot looks out through the patio screens toward the same hanging tree that was about to get some use in "Five Guns to Tombstone." We'll come back to the hanging tree a little later.

 

Another Clampitt Fire survivor ... sort of

One other item of interest in the Russ Tamblyn shot is the small cabin in the background. Situated at the northeast end of Silvertown, this cabin was in its share of movies, and surprisingly, it survived the Clampitt Fire.

 

OK, so it's a fixer-upper

Well, "survived" may be too strong a word. The cabin did escape the fire, but it had its own problems. For whatever it's worth, "Vigilante Force" documented the cabin's status as of 1975.

 

The little cabin in it heyday (Bison Archives photo)

The cabin was looking a lot sharper in the 1956 Columbia serial "Blazing the Overland Trail."

 

Tourists hang around near the little cabin and the nearby church

The cabin was one of the attractions for tourists visiting Corriganville, as was a nearby church. The church also appeared on screen pretty regularly — and it, too, survived the Clampitt Fire.

 

What was left of the church building in 1975

We know the church survived the fire in 1970 because we can see it in this shot and others from "Vigilante Force." It doesn't look as much like a church as it once did, but it's still standing, as of 1975.

 

The church in 1958, as it appeared in "Death Valley Days"

The church made many appearances in movies and TV shows. This shot comes from the "Death Valley Days" episode "Eruption at Volcano," filmed in 1958 and aired in 1959.

 

The deteriorating church in the mid- to late 1970s (posted by John Bickler)

This Internet photo reveals the condition of the church in the 1970s. Based on the shape it's in here and what we can see of it in "Vigilante Force," I'd say this photo was taken sometime after the "Vigilante Force" shoot, with just a little more deterioration evident here.

 

"Vigilante Force": Kristofferson eyes a church in the distance

Another church also plays a role in "Vigilante Force," and while this one is technically not at Corriganville, it's in the neighborhood — close enough that Kristofferson can watch what's going on there from Corriganville.

 

Zooming in on the church in "Vigilante Force"

As the camera begins to zoom in, we get a better look at the church. Both in the real world and in the movie, the church is a neighbor of Corriganville, and can even be filmed from the movie ranch.

 

A funeral is taking place at the church, not far from Corriganville

It turns out a funeral is under way at this church. In contrast to the previous shot, now a black banner has been added to cover up the real name of the church.

 

The same church as it stands today on Santa Susana Pass Road

I don't know what the church was called in the 1970s, but it's still standing today, on Santa Susana Pass Road near Kuehner Drive, and today it's known as the Church of God of Prophecy. The same rocky hill seen in "Vigilante Force" can still be seen behind the church.

 

The same church, in "Camper John" (1973)

The church also made an appearance in the fairly obscure 1973 movie "Camper John." The movie was later rereleased as "Prologue to Wounded Knee" and then rereleased again as "Gentle Savage."

 

"Vigilante Force": Corriganville history on display

Other shots in "Vigilante Force" connect with Corriganville history in various ways. For example, take a look at this shot of the perennially shirtless Kristofferson with actor Antony Carbone.

 

A historical artifact in the background

It's easy to miss, but if you look closely you can see an old chimney still standing in the background — a survivor of the Clampitt Fire.

 

Ray Corrigan's house and ranch buildings, circa 1937 (Bison Archives photo)

The chimney is gone today, but it was once part of Ray Corrigan's house. This photo was taken around the time Corrigan purchased the property in 1937, and shows the only buildings that were standing in the area before he began building Silvertown.

 

Barn No. 1, aka the Old Barn — part of Ray Corrigan's original ranch

Among those earliest buildings is "Barn No. 1," also known as the Old Barn. The buildings in this photo, including Ray's house, would later be incorporated into Silvertown, but they would all be destroyed in the 1970 fire.

 

The Old Barn in "Red River Robin Hood" (1942)

The Old Barn would go on to become a fixture of Silvertown, and would be seen in countless movies and TV episodes. But when "Red River Robin Hood" filmed at Corriganville in 1942, the barn looked kind of lonely without any other buildings around.

 

A booming Silvertown in "Gangsters of the Frontier," 1944 (Jerry England collection)

Just two years later, when "Gangsters of the Frontier" came to town, there was an actual town to come to. By then Silvertown was a bustling Western street with plenty of buildings — and plenty of action.

 

"The Quiet Gun" (1957): Looking southwest down the main street at Silvertown

Shots taken in the other direction — looking southwest — often capture some of Ray Corrigan's original ranch buildings in the background.

 

Original ranch buildings as part of Silvertown

I believe the Old Barn was moved from its original position, because it appears to be much farther from Ray Corrigan's house in later Silvertown shots than it did in the 1937 photo.

 

Barn No. 2 in "Vigilante Force," and another appearance by the marching band

Barn No. 2 was part of an expansion of Silvertown that took place between 1947 and 1952. The new barn was constructed of sturdier material than the old barn, but the main reason it survived the Clampitt Fire was probably because it was set off from the rest of the town.

 

"Fighting Lawman" (1953): Barn No. 2, the Hotel, Gorilla Rock and the Hanging Tree

Barn No. 2, seen here on the left, was still pretty new when it appeared in "Fighting Lawman." This shot from the movie also features the hotel's storefront facades, on the right.

 

Other features in the "Fighting Lawman" shot

Other features in the screen shot include Gorilla Rock, the hanging tree and the small cabin we looked at before. These features were at the northeast end of Silvertown, and they all survived the 1970 fire.

 

Corriganville's "preferred" hanging tree, in "Death Valley Days" (1959)

The tree at the northeast end of town was just one of multiple trees at Corriganville that became known as "hanging trees," but I think it was the main one. This tree made a big impression on me when I visited Corriganville as a kid, because it was used to stage live hangings for the tourists. Ah, the good ol' days ...

 

Bernadette Peters leans against the hanging tree in "Vigilante Force"

By the time "Vigilante Force" filmed in 1975, the hanging tree, which resided in a circular stone planter next to Barn No. 2, had grown to be enormous.

 

Kristofferson and Peters reflect on life's mysteries at the hanging tree

With the massive oak tree situated right next to the barn, cast members could easily be filmed looking pensive while seated on the planter or leaning against the tree..

 

The tree remains in place in 2023 — and is bigger than ever

On a recent visit to Corriganville, I was able to confirm that the old hanging tree is still alive and well, and still resides in its circular planter — near the surviving stone wall segments that once held up the barn.

 

The giant oak has what it takes to be a hanging tree

I also gained some insight into why this particular oak tree became the movie ranch's preferred venue for public hangings. It has the one essential feature every hanging tree needs: a high, sturdy horizontal limb.

 

Barn No. 2's surviving stone wall segments (2023)

The legacy of Barn No. 2 also lives on in today's landscape, its stone wall still intact below Gorilla Rock. The ruins of the barn are one of only a handful of surviving Silvertown relics that rise above ground level.

 

Firefighters hose off the remains of Barn No. 2 (L.A. Times photo by Ken Hively, 1979)

You may want to get out a hanky for this one, but here's a photo that ran in the Los Angeles Times on Nov. 2, 1979, capturing the demise of Barn No. 2. The photo was posted by John Bickler. The flattened building in the background appears to be the Hotel.

 

Corriganville's Robin Hood Lake, now a dry concrete basin, in "Vigilante Force"

One other Corriganville scene that caught my eye in "Vigilante Force" is a brief sequence filmed in the concrete basin that once held the location ranch's famed Robin Hood Lake.

 

A canoe paddles along Robin Hood Lake in "Last of the Redmen" (1947)

Scenic Robin Hood Lake was a common sight in productions filmed at Corriganville, with part of the scenery provided by a manmade stunt rock. The rock can be seen here directly above the front of the canoe.

 

"Jungle Jim" (Columbia, 1948): A fancy dive into Robin Hood Lake

The stunt rock was often used for ... (wait for it) ... stunts! And fancy dives too, in case they're two different things. This shot comes from the first in a series of "Jungle Jim" movies Johnny Weissmuller started making at Columbia as soon as he wrapped up his run as Tarzan at MGM and RKO.

 

Weissmuller, Sherry Moreland and Tamba the Chimp at Corriganville (1951)

Weissmuller spent so much time at Corriganville making "Jungle Jim" movies that people tend to think he filmed "Tarzan" movies there too, which as far as I can tell is incorrect. Surprisingly, Weissmuller actually made more "Jungle Jim" movies (13) than "Tarzan" movies (12).

 

A manmade rock complements the manmade lake

The "Vigilante Force" shot also features the stunt rock, and with the lake already dry in 1975, the shot provides a preview of what the lake and stunt rock look like today.

 

Robin Hood Lake and the stunt rock in 2023

Robin Hood Lake hasn't changed much since "Vigilante Force" filmed at Corriganville, and the fake stunt rock still looks about the same — as long as you don't look too closely.

 

The fake rock is showing its age

If you do happen to take a close look at the stunt rock, the "movie magic" is quickly stripped away and the rock's true nature is betrayed by pieces of concrete, wood and chicken wire popping out of it.

 

Corriganville Park — open to the public

Located at the end of Smith Road in southeast Simi Valley, Calif., Corriganville today is a regional park and a popular hiking area. It's open to the public, so check it out if you can — but watch out for poison oak!

 

Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down

Before he decided to try his hand at acting, Kris Kristofferson was a heck of a singer-songwriter. Here's one of his classics — click on the arrow then click on the YouTube logo to watch it in a larger format.