New find in a really old "Batman" movie — and in the Crouching Cat area, near the top of Nyoka Cliff

David King, a reader of this blog, made a cool find on a recent visit to Iverson. He was exploring the area around Crouching Cat, near the top of Nyoka Cliff, and snapped this photo of a rock with a distinctive crack in it.

"Batman and Robin" (1949)

David recognized the scene and pinpointed it as the same location seen in this shot from the Columbia serial "Batman and Robin." Readers should be able to spot the same leaning rock, with its upside-down L-shaped crack, toward the left in both shots.

Crouching Cat

The leaning rock is just around the corner from Crouching Cat, which I've blogged about in the past. This was not a high-traffic area for filming, even though back in the day Crouching Cat was situated near the end of a dirt road that climbed toward the top of Nyoka Cliff. Please click here to read my earlier post about Crouching Cat.

Today the area is harder to access than it was in the filming era, and David's discovery of this site demonstrates that even with all the exploration that has already taken place, many of the Iverson Movie Ranch's secrets have yet to be revealed.

"Montana Desperado" (1951)

To add some context to the new find, this shot of Johnny Mack Brown in the Iverson Gorge captures the leaning rock — along with the walkway next to it where the characters are seen in "Batman and Robin."

The setting is way in the background, but the "Montana Desperado" shot captures the perfect angle, showing not only the leaning rock and the walkway, but also an important nearby tree. The large rock feature directly behind Johnny Mack Brown is Nyoka Cliff.

While the eye is drawn to the top right corner of the frame and the familiar tree atop Nyoka Cliff, the top center is where the real action is. This version of the shot identifies the Walkway area and Crouching Cat Tree.

Here's a bird's-eye view of the area in recent times, with some of the main features identified. The shot looks toward the south, with Redmesa Road traversing the right of the frame. Santa Susana Pass Road and the railroad tracks can be seen near the top of the photo.

Zooming in on the same bird's-eye view, this shot identifies key features of the Crouching Cat area. Crouching Cat Tree is of particular interest, because it pops up over the years in footage of the Nyoka Cliff area, and the tree remains in place today.

This recent shot of Nyoka Cliff points out Crouching Cat Tree, along with the walkway area and a tree that blocks the view of the leaning rock.

"Batman and Robin"

Crouching Cat Tree is the same tree seen in the "Batman and Robin" shot back in 1949, although it has filled in quite a bit since then.

"Trailin' West" (1936)

The sparseness of foliage on the tree in "Batman and Robin" is an anomaly. Back in 1936 the tree was far more leafy when it appeared in the Warner Bros. B-Western "Trailin' West," starring Dick Foran.

The leaning rock also turns up in the "Trailin' West" shot.

The usual view of Crouching Cat Tree that we see today consists of the top portion of the tree, with the rest of the tree hidden behind Nyoka Cliff.

"The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1959)

Here's a typically low-key appearance by Crouching Cat Tree in the background of an episode of the "Wyatt Earp" TV series where Nyoka Cliff is prominently featured. The shot appears in the episode "Last Stand at Smoky Hill."

The episode premiered Jan. 20, 1959, during the show's fourth season, and would have been shot in 1958. The shot is taken from the west side of the Gorge in Garden of the Gods, looking east.

Here's a good look at Crouching Cat Tree from a recent visit to the site. Note the tree's distinctive "topknot" sticking up above the rest of the tree, toward the right.

The topknot is interesting because it has survived over many decades.

"Trailin' West" — Crouching Cat Tree's topknot already visible

The topknot could already be seen in 1936 in "Trailin' West," almost 80 years ago.

"Fighting Seabees" (1944) — Bulldozer vs. tank in a fight to the death

You may already know that the main tree at the top of Nyoka Cliff — I suppose we can call it the Nyoka Tree — moves around from time to time. In this shot of a famous sequence in John Wayne's "Fighting Seabees," the position of the tree is pinpointed between two of the main boulders near the top of the cliff.

"Man in the Saddle" (1951)

In this color shot several years later from the Randolph Scott Western "Man in the Saddle," Nyoka Tree remains in the same spot where it was seen in "Fighting Seabees." The tree was positioned here throughout the bulk of the filming era.

In modern times, however, the tree is located in a different spot, a little to the southwest. Of course, the tree itself hasn't pulled up its roots and relocated — it's safe to assume it's a different tree.

I want to congratulate David King and give him a well-deserved thumb's-up on his great detective work in the Crouching Cat area. Thanks a lot, David, for sharing your cool find!



Speaking of Dick Foran and "Trailin' West," check out the above link to a cool new DVD set on Amazon — "Dick Foran Western Collection," part of the Warner Bros. Archive Collection. These are remastered versions of 12 Dick Foran Westerns in great picture quality. Besides "Trailin' West," the set includes the Iverson movies "Land Beyond the Law," "Blazing Sixes," "California Mail" and "Guns of the Pecos," and a bunch more.

The Iverson Movie Ranch Western street, one building at a time ... Part II: The Livery Stable

"Along Came Jones" (1945): The Livery Stable

The Livery Stable announced the arrival of Iverson's Western street with this appearance introducing the newly minted set as the town of "Payneville," and the stable itself as Payneville Hay & Grain, in the Gary Cooper movie "Along Came Jones." The movie was released in 1945, but construction and filming took place in late 1944.

The Livery Stable slowly comes into view as Cooper, in the title role of "slow-talkin', slow-walkin'" Melody Jones, and his sidekick, George Fury, played by William Demarest, first ride into town.

Gary Cooper and William Demarest approach the Western street in "Along Came Jones"

The film luxuriates in its slow-paced introduction to the town set, allowing the hero and sidekick — and along with them, the viewer — to soak in the ambiance of the place. It adds up to a fittingly reverent first look at a town that would go on to be seen hundreds of times in movies and early TV shows.

A number of features of the arrival sequence are worth noting, as highlighted above. You can click here to see better photos of the Pirate Ship — a large and imposing rock feature located east of the Iverson town set and often visible in the background in shots of the town. For a recent post about the Livery Rocks — and more about the Pirate Ship — please click here.

"My Three Sons"

TV fans who go back far enough will remember William Demarest as Uncle Charley on "My Three Sons."

Gary Cooper in "Along Came Jones"

Cooper was responsible for the construction of the Western street in 1944, having it built for the only movie on which the two-time Oscar-winning actor had a producer's credit, "Along Came Jones." In this shot from the movie, the star and producer appears to be sizing up the end result of his labor of love. Behind him are the Livery Stable, on the right, and a smaller building on the left that would undergo extensive remodeling soon after appearing as a "ladies' and gentlemen's furnishings" shop in Cooper's movie.

"The Millerson Case" (1947)

Situated in a strategically important position at the south end of town, the Livery Stable went on to a long and productive career in movies and television. In this shot from the Crime Doctor movie "The Millerson Case," a catfight takes place right in the middle of the street, with the Livery Stable as its backdrop.

"The Millerson Case"

The same movie also features this unusual view of the town set, with the southern face of the Livery Stable holding down the right half of the shot.

A few of the town's main structures are identified here. The town is seen almost directly from the south, which was not a commonly used angle.

"Check Your Guns" (1948)

Another unusual view of the Livery Stable, from the Eddie Dean B-Western "Check Your Guns," shows the full expanse of the Livery Stable as it appeared from the west.

"Gold Raiders" (1951)

For the Three Stooges movie "Gold Raiders," a sign was placed on the building identifying it as the "Harry Temple Livery." It has occurred to me that this may have been meant as a humorous allusion to Moe's trademark haircut.

"Arrow in the Dust" (1954)

I haven't run across nearly as many good shots of the Livery Stable in color as I have in black-and-white, but here's a pretty good one, from the Sterling Hayden Western "Arrow in the Dust."

"Sky King" TV show (1955)

Aerial footage of the Western street from the TV series "Sky King" shows the location of the Livery Stable at the south end of town — the opposite end of the street from Casa Grande, the subject of the previous entry in this series.

"Whirlybirds" TV show (1957)

Two years after the "Sky King" footage, a bird's-eye view from the TV series "Whirlybirds" captures the corral area behind the Livery Stable, with a little bit of the building visible in the top right corner. This shot was taken around the time the Western town was beginning to be dismantled.

The shot appears in an episode of "Whirlybirds" titled "Fury Canyon," which premiered July 25, 1957. The flat space in the bottom center of the shot, below where the vehicle is parked, is where the mobile home park's swimming pool area is now located.

"Man in the Saddle" (1951)

Drama plays out around the southern steps of the Livery Stable in the Randolph Scott Western "Man in the Saddle" from Columbia. The photo features Cooper Rock, in the middle of the shot, along with a view of Iverson's Eucalyptus Grove in the background. Cooper Rock is named after the man who built the town, Gary Cooper.

"Sky King" (1957): The Western street partially dismantled

By late 1957 the town was beginning to be torn down, with Casa Grande no longer in place at the north end of the street and other buildings in various stages of demolition. The above shot from the "Sky King" episode "Dead Man's Will" shows the Western street as a ghost town, a frequent role in the town's later years.

Taking a close look at the "Sky King" shot, the roof of the Livery Stable is little more than a frame at this point — and across the street, the Saloon is in even worse shape. The episode premiered Feb. 22, 1958.

"The Iverson Movie Ranch Western street, one building at a time" is a series of posts on the movie and TV history of each of the major structures making up Iverson's town set, which stood from 1944 to 1957 and appeared in hundreds of productions.



To see all of the posts in the series on the Iverson Western street, please click on the following links:

Part I: Casa Grande
Part II: The Livery Stable
Part III: The Saloon
Part IV: The Hotel
Part V: The General Store 
Part VI: The Barn
Part VII: The Sheriff's Office
Part VIII: The North and South Adobes
Part IX: The Lost Dutchman
Part X: The original north end of town
Part XI: The North and South Towers
Part XII: The Harness Maker
Part XIII: Rainbow Mine Co. 
Part XIV: The Church/Schoolhouse  
Part XV: The Corral Rocks Shack
Part XVI: The decline and fall of the Western street

Taking the "then and now" shot to the next level

"The Fighting Legion" (1930) — Lone Pine, Calif.

I recently discovered the work of film historian and documentary photographer Jerry Condit, whose re-creations of movie location shots elevate the concept of the "then and now" photo to an art form.

Lone Pine, Calif. — photographed in 2009 by Jerry Condit

The above example of Jerry's work showcases one of his favorite filming locations, the Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, Calif. His photo re-creates the shot from "The Fighting Legion" so closely it's hard to tell them apart, as even the shadows are virtually identical. The main difference between the two photos is the presence of horses and riders in the movie shot, which also brings out the imposing scale of the rocky landscape. The two shots are taken almost 80 years apart.

Some of Jerry's photos stand alone — that is, they're not movie re-creations, but scenic shots in their own right, such as the above photo he snapped recently of Iverson's Hawk Rock against a dramatic Chatsworth sky. I recommend clicking on any of these photos to see a larger version.

"Old Yeller" (1957) — Garden of the Gods

Did you cry over "Old Yeller"? Who didn't! In a certain age bracket it's the most remembered childhood movie for a lot of us kids. Parts of the Disney tearjerker were shot at the Iverson Movie Ranch, including the above scene in which Yeller runs through Iverson's Garden of the Gods. I love the way this shot projects how formidable those rock formations are.

The same location photographed in 2014 by Jerry Condit

Still formidable — and pretty much unchanged — more than a half-century later.

"Man in the Saddle" (1951)

Here's a shot taken in almost the same spot as the "Old Yeller" shot, but this one is from the Columbia Western "Man in the Saddle." The all-star cast in the above shot includes, from left, Randolph Scott, Ellen Drew and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams. The guy with his back to the camera is Cameron Mitchell.

The campfire site in 2014 (photo by Jerry Condit)

This is a recent shot of the site where the "Man in the Saddle" campfire scene took place, again in Garden of the Gods on the former Iverson Movie Ranch. The rock in the top left corner with the prominent crack is Mitchum Rock, named after the Robert Mitchum film noir "The Big Steal," in which Mitchum and Jane Greer take shelter behind the rock during a shootout. You can read more about Mitchum Rock and "The Big Steal" by clicking here.

"Saga of the Viking Women" (1957)

 
The original title of this movie, produced and directed by Roger Corman, is considerably longer: "The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent." The title has been shortened in a variety of ways in connection with various releases of the movie, but under any title, the movie is strongly recommended both for its terrific Iverson location shots and because it's a fun movie.

The Viking whipping sequence takes place in central Garden of the Gods, a short distance from the "Man in the Saddle" campsite. Here's the same spot, Viking Whipping Rock, as it appears today, again photographed by Jerry Condit. I have a couple of earlier blog entries about the "Viking Women" movie — including my own attempt at a "then and now" shot for the whipping sequence — which you can find by clicking here.

"Bonanza" episode "The Dowry" (first aired April 29, 1962)

The Iverson Movie Ranch poses more than its share of challenges when it comes to re-creating movie and TV shots. The place has changed a lot since the filming days, and whether it's a condo or an overgrown bush in the way — or a rock or tree that's simply not there anymore — it's often impossible to get the same angle. For the above "Bonanza" scene, filmed on the South Rim of the Upper Iverson, duplicating the angle would have required a scaffold — or at least a good ladder.

The Slates as they appear today, in a 2014 photo by Jerry Condit

But the site is easily identified, even from a slightly lower angle. Looking at this recent photo I sometimes think I still see that rutted road running straight through the middle of the shot, between the two major rock formations.

The two main rocks seen in the "Bonanza" shot and the recent shot are identified above. You can find out why the Tomb has that name by clicking here. This portion of the South Rim remains relatively intact, but other sections have been drastically altered as the native terrain was replaced by large estates.

Bell Location Ranch, in the hills west of Chatsworth

The shoot for the above lobby card for the 1957 Columbia B-Western "Sierra Stranger" took place at Bell Ranch, west of Chatsworth and south of Santa Susana Pass Road off Box Canyon — a few miles southwest of the Iverson Movie Ranch.

Here's a promo still for the movie that uses the same photo as the lobby card, but in the original black and white.

The same location in 2014

Jerry Condit took this photo on a recent trip to Bell Ranch. You can probably see right away that it's all the exact same rocks seen in the promo shot, along with the same road in the foreground.

"Cripple Creek" (1952) — the Upper Iverson Movie Ranch

The above promo still for the Columbia B-Western "Cripple Creek" comes from the collection of location researcher and Western movie expert Jerry England. The scene is shot on the South Rim of the Upper Iverson, where a water feature was brought into play especially for this production. I've blogged before about this water feature, which I call the Reflecting Pool. You can see a brief video of this sequence — which included a waterfall — and read more about the Reflecting Pool, by clicking here. That blog post also includes another clip from "Cripple Creek."

The same site in 2014, photographed by Jerry Condit

Other than the absence of the water feature, the "Cripple Creek" site remains virtually unchanged, as seen in Jerry Condit's recent photo. Inspired in large part by these "then and now" shots, I was able to nail down a few details about the Reflecting Pool — notably that it had an "extended version" that brought it closer to Wrench Rock, as seen in "Cripple Creek." I previously spotted this extended Reflecting Pool in an episode of the "Annie Oakley" TV show from 1956, as seen in this earlier blog entry, but the "Cripple Creek" sequence adds perspective on the Reflecting Pool, the extended Reflecting Pool and the waterfall.


Above are some links to Amazon.com, where you can find DVD, Blu-ray and streaming versions of a number of the productions featured in this post. I can personally recommend the Roger Corman double feature 'Viking Women and the Sea Serpent" and "Teenage Caveman," with both movies having filmed at Iverson and "Teenage Caveman" featuring the Reflecting Pool. It's the same DVD set I used for my shot of the Viking whipping scene that appears in this post. Also note that the "Bonanza" Season 3 set includes the episode "The Dowry," which is featured above.