Darby Hinton returns to the Iverson Movie Ranch, where he learned to shoot the Kentucky Long Rifle from "Daniel Boone" at age 7

Fess Parker as Daniel and Darby Hinton as Izzy in "Daniel Boone" (1964-1970)

Actor Darby Hinton, who many readers will remember as young Israel Boone on the TV series "Daniel Boone," recently paid a visit to the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, Calif.

 

Daniel Boone shows Izzy how to hold the Kentucky long rifle in "Doll of Sorrow" (1965)

It was a homecoming for Hinton, who shot some memorable scenes on the movie ranch back in 1965. The beloved NBC frontier series was still in its first season at the time, but Darby was already a veteran actor at age 7.

 

Darby, as Izzy Boone, tries to hold up the rifle on his own

The youngster struggled with the heft of the iconic firearm, also known as the Pennsylvania long rifle. The famed flintlock weapon could be a lot to handle for even a grown man, much less a 7-year-old boy.

 

Darby Hinton and "Tick Licker" return to the Iverson Ranch in 2022

 

Earlier this month, Hinton revisited the Iverson Ranch, where he was schooled by Fess Parker in the proper use of the long rifle more than a half-century earlier. The actor surprised us by bringing along "Tick Licker."

 

Darby with "Tick Licker" at a key filming location for "Doll of Sorrow"

 

Legend has it that the real-life Daniel Boone nicknamed his hunting rifle "Old Tick Licker" — a name Hinton still uses for his own long rifle, a prized souvenir from his six seasons on the TV show.

 

Artist's depiction of Daniel Boone and "Old Tick Licker"

Daniel Boone reportedly once claimed the rifle was so accurate he could shoot a tick off a bear without harming the bear. The tall tale became a part of frontier lore — and the backstory behind the "Tick Licker" nickname.

 

Henry Fonda wields the long rifle in John Ford's "Drums Along the Mohawk," 1939

The long rifle has been a staple of Hollywood's representations of frontier life for decades.

 

Daniel Boone sets up an impromptu stand to help Izzy steady the rifle

But when young Israel Boone got his first chance to fire "Old Tick Licker" in the episode "Doll of Sorrow," things did not go as planned.

 

A wagon races out of control after the horses were startled by the shot

Izzy hit his target, but the shot frightened a team of horses driven by a traveling merchant, who just happened to be passing through the area with his wagonload of goods.

 

The merchant's wagon plunges down a hill

The wagon ends up crashing down a hillside in the Iverson Gorge, destroying the merchant's wares.

 

Edward Binns, as traveling merchant Seth Jennings, watches as his goods are ruined

The merchant, played by Ed Binns, turns out to be an especially short-tempered fellow, and he does not take it well when he loses not only a wagon, but a full load of merchandise.

 

It's "swing first and ask questions later" as the merchant and the frontiersman go at it

Binns' character, Seth Jennings, picks a fight with Daniel Boone before either Daniel or Izzy has a chance to explain and try to make good on the merchant's losses.

 

Izzy keeps a safe distance as the grownups sort things out

The two men get into a nasty fistfight as young Israel Boone finds a safe spot where he can follow the action.

 

A vicious punch from Jennings sends Daniel to the ground

With the element of surprise on his side, Jennings lands some good punches in the early rounds.

 

Izzy reacts to seeing his father take one on the jaw

Young Israel Boone grimaces at the sight of his dad in distress.

 

This time it's Daniel who lands a solid shot, sending Jennings to the mat

As the fight continues, the tide turns, signaling that Boone will eventually prevail.

 

Izzy reacts to a good punch from his dad

Young Darby Hinton shows a full range of emotions as Izzy tracks the ebb and flow of the fight.

 

Izzy and Daniel share a moment after Daniel's victory

Even in a fight scene, the popular family-oriented show featured moments of tenderness and father-son bonding.

 

The parties talk things over after the fight

The action in the "Doll of Sorrow" sequence takes place in a section of the Lower Iverson just off the main trail into the Garden of the Gods. I've been calling this area "the Arena" in my research since I first ran across it years ago.

 

The Arena as it appears today

The Arena remains completely intact today, with a number of the rocks being immediately recognizable.

 

A rock star is born

For a few years now, I've been referring to this rock in my research as "Darby Hinton Rock," because it's the spot where Darby, as Israel Boone, cheered his father on while Daniel and Ed Binns' character slugged it out.

 

Darby Hinton, stationed at the rock in "Doll of Sorrow"

The rock is conveniently positioned right off the main trail into the Garden of the Gods, on park property, where it is accessible to the public during daylight hours.

 

Darby Hinton returns to "Darby Hinton Rock" in 2022

I've been wanting to find a way to make the "Darby Hinton Rock" designation more formal for some time now, and when I reached out to Darby, he agreed to help out.

 

The rock's most instantly identifiable feature: the crack

One of the rock's distinguishing features is this small crack, which makes it easy to identify.

 

Izzy stands next to the crack in "Doll of Sorrow"

You can't miss the crack in some of the closeups of Izzy when he was standing near the rock.

 

Darby checks out the crack in the rock

I also got a nice shot of Darby while he was taking a look at the crack. Darby suggested it might be appropriate that a rock named after him would be a little cracked — but then, I think that would be true for yours truly too.

 

Valley Relics Museum in Van Nuys, Calif. — where San Fernando Valley memorabilia roars back to life

If you plan to be in the Los Angeles area on May 28, you can learn more about Darby Hinton and Darby Hinton Rock as part of a special presentation we will be giving at the incredible Valley Relics Museum in Van Nuys.

 

Famed director King Vidor oversees his town built for "Billy the Kid,"
filmed in 1930 in what today is Porter Ranch

Besides delving into Darby's film and TV career and unveiling all the details on Darby Hinton Rock, the presentation will peel back some of the secrets from the 110-year movie history of the San Fernando Valley.

 

"E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982): Taking flight over Porter Ranch with an alien in a basket

The presentation kicks off at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 28, but come early so you can spend some time browsing the sprawling Valley Relics Museum. The presentation is included in the museum's general admission price of $15.

 

"Malibu Express" (1985), starring a ripped Darby Hinton

This is your chance to find out all about the guest of honor's surprising career trajectory in the years after "Daniel Boone" — and maybe even ask Darby what it was like to star with five Playboy Playmates in "Malibu Express."

 

Flier for May 28 presentation, with guest of honor Darby Hinton

I hope all my blog readers will come on up and say howdy!

The Year in Review: The Top 10 "Goof Photos" sent out to the Iverson Movie Ranch Blog mailing list in 2014

Readers who are already on the Iverson Movie Ranch Blog Mailing List know all too well about the "Goof Photo" that accompanies each mailing, but for those few remaining poor souls out in the world who have yet to sign up, I've compiled the best of the year's Goof Photos. Below you will find the top 10 of the year, in no particular order.

For anyone who wants to sign up for the Mailing List, please send an email to me at:

iversonfilmranch@aol.com

Just say "add me to the list" or whatever else you want to say to get the message across.

Once you're on the list you'll get an email — including the all-important (and occasionally really stupid) Goof Photo — letting you know whenever I put up a new blog post. It has been averaging once every four or five days.

And now, without (much) further ado ...

As I mentioned up above, if you would like to sign up for the Iverson Movie Ranch Blog Mailing List, just send me an email at:

iversonfilmranch@aol.com

... and say something along the lines of "add me to the mailing list."

Thank you, everyone, for your interest in the Iverson Movie Ranch. Have a great New Year's ... See you in 2015!

Where did Daniel Boone teach young Izzy Boone to shoot the Pennsylvania long rifle? On the Iverson Movie Ranch!

Fess Parker in "Daniel Boone" (1965)

Fess Parker became the quintessential TV version of not one but two legendary real-life American frontiersmen, first as Davy Crockett in a miniseries that aired from 1954-1955 as part of "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color," and later as Daniel Boone in a popular adventure series that ran for six seasons on NBC, from 1964-1970.

"Daniel Boone" episode "Doll of Sorrow" (premiered April 22, 1965)

It was as Daniel Boone that Parker found his way to the Iverson Movie Ranch. The above shot from the NBC series includes a portion of Rock Island in the background, at top left. The "Doll of Sorrow" episode featured this opening segment shot on the Lower Iverson along with a later segment taped on the Upper Iverson.

Fess Parker and young Darby Hinton in "Doll of Sorrow"

In the opening moments of the episode, Daniel Boone teaches his son, Israel Boone, or "Izzy," played by Darby Hinton, how to shoot the frontiersman's trademark Pennsylvania long rifle.

The target is a small gourd hanging from a tree, at the center of the shot. In the background the familiar rock wall and other rock features known collectively as "Hole in the Wall" can be seen.

This version of the shot highlights the rock arch that gives the Hole in the Wall its name (noted in yellow), along with other key components of the widely filmed Hole in the Wall rock formation.

Today the Hole in the Wall provides a rocky backdrop for the Cal West Townhomes.

Two of the key features of the Hole in the Wall rock group are noted here. It's a bit of a challenge, but the features in their current setting can be matched up with the "Daniel Boone" shot. Please click here to read a previous post about the Hole in the Wall.

To young Izzy's delight, his Pa finally lets him handle the rifle. The male bonding session plays out against the backdrop of the Lower Iverson's Rock Island along with some of the features of an area I call "Batman Corner," which is around the corner from Batman Rock.

Of course the first thing the youngster does with the heavy weapon is drop it. Fess Parker's patience and fatherly tenderness are on ample display during the sequence.

Some of the main background rock features are identified here.

Izzy shows he's game, even as he continues to struggle with the heft and length of the rifle.

With the help of a rudimentary monopod, young Izzy finally does get a shot off — and at least in this fictionalized version of the lesson, he hits the target.

Unfortunately, a traveling salesman happens to be driving by in his horse-drawn cart at that exact moment.

The large rock noted here was a prominent feature of Batman Corner, but became a casualty of condo development in the late 1980s when that entire section of the Iverson Gorge was filled with dirt.

Izzy's shot frightens the traveling salesman's horses, who rear up and then take off running.

As the horses run out of control they race up Garden of the Gods Trail, where they pass Hawk Rock.

Hawk Rock and other features seen in the "Daniel Boone" shot are identified here.

A recent photo of the same area provides a view of Hawk Rock from a similar camera angle.

To read a previous post about Hawk Rock, please click here, and for still more about the rock, find "Hawk Rock" in the long index of labels running down the right side of the page.

The runaway horse sequence ends in a wagon crash, ratcheting up the tension. As Izzy looks on, Fess Parker, right, tries to reason with the angry owner of the horse cart, played by prolific character actor Edward Binns.

Inevitably, the two men fight — with Izzy, at far left, closely eyeing the action. The fisticuffs take place in a small clearing I call the Arena, which is still intact and is situated just off the main trail into Garden of the Gods.

This is the site of the fistfight today. The large rock on the left, with a notch along its right edge, is the one Izzy stands in front of in the "Daniel Boone" shot. You can read more about the Arena in an earlier post by clicking here.

As the men continue to scuffle, we get a closer look at a rock cluster dominated by a distinctive "ledge" rock.

Here's another view of the ledge rock and its neighbors as they appear today. The "Arena" is now on public parkland and can be easily accessed by visiting Garden of the Gods Park in Chatsworth, Calif.

Entrance gate into Garden of the Gods, on Redmesa Road

Directions to Garden of the Gods, and the Arena: From Topanga Canyon Boulevard just below the 118 Freeway, head west on Santa Susana Pass Road and take the first right, onto Redmesa Road. Park just below where the condos begin, and you should be able to find the trail into Garden of the Gods, behind the metal gate on the west side of Redmesa. The Arena is a short distance up the trail, on the right side.