Elvis Presley promo stills for the 1965 movie "Harum Scarum" — here's where they were shot

Promo Still "A" for "Harum Scarum" (1965): Elvis Presley and Mary Ann Mobley 

on the Iverson Movie Ranch

It took some doing, but we recently figured out the locations for two promotional stills for the Elvis movie "Harum Scarum." Both shots feature Elvis Presley and Mary Ann Mobley riding the Lower Iverson Movie Ranch.

Promo Still "B": Elvis and Mary Ann at Iverson

The photos, which I'm calling "Promo Still A" and "Promo Still B," were shot back-to-back and appear to be taken from the same location. Based on the "Harum Scarum" shooting schedule, which Elvis movie location expert Bill Bram shared with me, the photos would have been taken on Wednesday, March 17, 1965.

Elvis Presley and Fran Jeffries in Garden of the Gods

That's the same day Elvis was at Iverson to shoot the original version of the tent sequence, which I blogged about recently. You can click here to read about this shoot, which took place in Garden of the Gods. Elvis appears to have spent just one day at Iverson during shooting on "Harum Scarum."

Let's look first at Promo Still A, which was apparently taken moments before Promo Still B. In this version of the shot I've highlighted a couple of the main features. The big clump of rocks that dominates the background is a part of Rock Island, seen from an angle that rarely turned up in the movies.

"Trailin' West" (1936) — the same corner of Rock Island

One of the few times that same clump did turn up was in the old Warner Bros. B-Western "Trailin' West," which gave me the clue I needed to find the location of Promo Still A. The big pile of rocks, located at the northwest corner of Rock Island, appears behind the stagecoach in this shot. The angle is slightly different, but readers may be able to see the similarities in the rocks in the above two photos.

"Trailin' West" — wider view

A wider view of the same area, from the same scene in "Trailin' West," helps pinpoint where the scene was filmed, Filling the left half of the screen is the same big rockpile seen in the Elvis photo, but the key to finding the site turns out to be the even larger pile of rocks that fills the right half of the frame.

The two main rock clumps in the "Trailin' West" photo are identified here. I'll go into detail below about the fate of Rock Island, but for now I want to focus on the rocks at the right of the shot — an area I call Batman Corner.

Batman Corner in 2014

This shot of Batman Corner was taken on a visit to the site late last year. Batman Corner — which is essentially the back side of Batman Rock — is located today at the corner of Redmesa Road and Horizon Place.

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the shot from "Trailin' West" and the recent shot of Batman Corner, taken almost 80 years apart. I've highlighted the rounded top of the main rock, which is seen in both photos. From this angle it's impossible to tell that the rock is the same one we know as Batman Rock.

Batman Rock, as it appears today — the classic angle

If we were to walk a short distance west from where the preceding shots were taken, we would see this more familiar side of the distinctive rock known as Batman Rock. Some readers may recognize this view of the rock from John Ford's "Stagecoach" and other appearances in the movies and on TV.

"Batman and Robin" (Columbia serial, 1949)

The name "Batman Rock" comes from appearances in Columbia's Batman serials of the 1940s — "Batman" in 1943 and "Batman and Robin" in 1949 — which also inspired the popular "Batman" TV series of the 1960s.

A portion of the Lower Iverson (1952 aerial photo)

The area where Promo Stills A and B were shot is seen in this aerial view of a section of the Lower Iverson Movie Ranch from 1952, which I will show again below with the specific sites identified. The 1952 aerial photo is probably the sharpest aerial to surface so far that shows the Iverson Ranch during the filming days.

One of the most important features of the aerial shot is the access road, which ran from the Iverson Movie Ranch entrance on Santa Susana Pass Road (not pictured) to the Iverson family residence. It was along this road that the Elvis promo shots were taken in 1965.

Taking another look at Promo Still B, I want to call your attention to the rock in the top left corner and the stone buttressing along the bottom of the photo.

"Harum Scarum": Doubles ride north through the Iverson Gorge

The small rock in Promo Still B can be seen again in this shot from "Harum Scarum," which pinpoints the location of the small rock near the northeast corner of Rock Island. It should be noted that unlike the promo stills, the actual movie shot has doubles filling in for the actors, so Elvis does not appear in this shot.

A number of features in the movie shot are noteworthy, and I've highlighted some of them here. You may want to click on these shots to see a larger version. In the movie shot the riders are following the Stagecoach Road, which runs more or less north and south through the Iverson Gorge and eventually meets up with the access road.

The key to pinpointing Promo Still B is the small rock near Rock Island, which appears in both the movie shot and the promo still. I wanted to point out the similarity in shape between Bald Knob and the smaller rock because I found it both intriguing and a little confusing. When I first began studying Promo Still B, I was thrown off because I thought the smaller rock was in fact Bald Knob. That sort of thing happens a lot.

Returning to the 1952 aerial photo, we can now add the Stagecoach Road to the equation.

We can also now zero in on approximately where the riders, played by doubles, appear in the movie shot.

While we're at it, I wanted to nail down where the buttressing area is along the access road. This is the area where the film studio's still photographer would have been positioned when he snapped Promo Stills A and B.

Now we're able to approximate the positions of Elvis Presley and Mary Ann Mobley in the two promotional shots.

Finally, we can translate the positions of Elvis and Mary Ann in the promo shots to the modern configuration of the terrain, which today is filled by the Cal West Townhomes. The location where the promo stills were shot is just north of the condo development's swimming pool area off Redmesa Road.

As for the clump of rocks seen in Promo Still A, which once stood tall at the northwest corner of Rock Island, it appears to remain at least partially intact. However, for a number of reasons it is all but impossible to see.

"Rock Island Prison" — current home to the big clump of rocks

Today the big rock clump is locked behind a fence as part of a swimming pool area for the condos. I've referred to this area in the past as "Rock Island Prison" — a prison of sorts for famous movie rocks.

Not much to see anymore of the big rockpile

This photo gives some idea of where the pile of rocks that graces the Elvis promo shot can be found today. These days it's possible to see just a fragment of the formation at its southern end, marked in blue here. We have no way to get a decent look at the north side of the pile — the part that's showcased in the Elvis shot.

The north end of the rock clump is in there somewhere

Being locked behind a fence and largely buried underground are among the rock clump's problems, but an even bigger problem, when it comes to trying to see the rocks, is that they are now covered with ivy.

Southeast corner of Rock Island — now contained within the walls of "Rock Island Prison"

I've blogged before about how the charismatic Eraserhead, which held down the southeast corner of Rock Island, was largely buried during grading for the condo development. (Please click here for details about that.) Now it also appears that the northwest corner of Rock Island, years after its photo op with Elvis, suffered a similar fate.

Promo Still "B" from 1965

Taking another look at Promo Still B for "Harum Scarum," I want to point out that the stone buttressing seen in the foreground was already at least 30 years old when Elvis rode past it in 1965.

"The Miracle Rider" (1935) — same buttressing seen in Promo Still B

I know that because the same stone buttressing can be found in this shot from the 1935 Mascot serial "The Miracle Rider," starring Tom Mix. In this case the buttressing is seen from a much different angle, from the south.

Another shot from the same sequence in "The Miracle Rider" includes not only a portion of the buttressing, but also the same small rock north of Rock Island that appears in Promo Still B.

In other words, this shot from "The Miracle Rider" depicts the same little valley where Elvis and Mary Ann Mobley would be photographed on horseback 30 years later.

"Undercover Man" (Hopalong Cassidy, 1942)

I find the stone buttressing north of Rock Island to be one of the most fascinating, and least documented, features of the Iverson Gorge. One of the main reasons it's so fascinating is the same reason it's not well-documented — simply because it no longer exists.

"Batman and Robin" (1949)

But as you can see in these photos, the buttressing did make it into its share of productions.

"Batman and Robin" — buttressing area shot from the opposite direction

In the Columbia serial "Batman and Robin," the same stretch of buttressed road was filmed from both directions.

Nyoka Cliff and the Stagecoach Road in recent years, with stone buttressing noted

I wish I could say some relic of that stretch of buttressing north of Rock Island survived the condo development that began in the late 1980s, but I've searched for it, and it's gone. Fortunately, other examples of buttressing lower in the Gorge remain in place today, mainly in the area below Lone Ranger Rock and Nyoka Cliff.

Another example of buttressing along the Stagecoach Road, Lower Gorge

The buttressing seen in this photo, taken on a visit to the Iverson Gorge in 2014, can be found just below Lone Ranger Rock.

Stone buttressing near Garden of the Gods — still in place today

Still another example of stone buttressing from Iverson's filming days turned up late last year near Garden of the Gods on an expedition by Iverson researcher Cliff Roberts. I blogged about this discovery a few months back, and you can read that post — which includes directions to this movie relic — by clicking here.



By the way, if you know who Dick Foran is — his old B-Western "Trailin' West" is mentioned in this post — 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.

Fifty years later, an Elvis Presley filming location has been found on the Iverson Movie Ranch

Colorized promo shot for "Harum Scarum" (1965): Elvis Presley and Fran Jeffries

Elvis Presley worked on the Iverson Movie Ranch 50 years ago, during production of his 1965 movie "Harum Scarum," and a number of the shooting locations have only recently begun to be found. One such location, seen in this colorized promo shot, was discovered just in the past couple of weeks on a visit to Garden of the Gods.

Original black-and-white promo still with a wider version of the same shot

The photo, originally shot in black-and-white, shows Elvis and Fran Jeffries in a romantic encounter in front of a tent. The tent scene was filmed at Iverson, but was later reshot in the studio. The Iverson version is widely seen in promo pics for the movie, but does not appear in the movie itself — making the scene all the more intriguing.

Lobby card for "Harum Scarum" using the tent photo

I wanted to show readers this photo of a well-traveled lobby card for the movie because I think the tape marks and overall wear-and-tear tell their own story: Someone loved this photo enough to put it up on a wall or mirror, not realizing — or not caring — that it might diminish the item's future value for collectors.

Shooting schedule for "Harum Scarum"

The Elvis promo shot was brought to my attention by Bill Bram, the author of "Elvis: Frame by Frame." Bill, who has done his homework on Elvis movie locations, knew from the shooting schedule for "Harum Scarum" that the scene was shot on the Iverson Movie Ranch. The schedule also gives us the date of the shoot: March 17, 1965 — almost exactly 50 years ago.

March 2015: Site of the Elvis tent scene, 50 years later

The question was the same as it usually is when it comes to filming locations: Where, exactly? The answer turned out to be right in the middle of Garden of the Gods, on the Lower Iverson.

Photo taken on March 2015 expedition into Garden of the Gods

These shots show the location as it appears today. The key to matching up the movie shot, as usual, is the rocks. The same rocks appear in the tent scene as in the recent photo.

The tent scene, in which Elvis sang "Animal Instinct" to Jeffries, was shot in virtually the same spot where Ronald Reagan's character was gunned down 10 years earlier in "Tennessee's Partner."

"Tennessee's Partner" (1955): John Payne, left, and Ronald Reagan

This screen shot from "Tennessee's Partner" is taken in the same spot where the tent scene was filmed. I blogged previously about this sequence, in which Reagan's character is killed. You can read that post by clicking here.

This version of the recent shot shows which rocks appear in the "Tennessee's Partner" screen shot.

Here the rocks are noted in the "Tennessee's Partner" screen shot. The angle is different from the recent shot, but you may be able to match up the rocks.

One thing I found interesting in the "Harum Scarum" promo shot is that it contains a shadow that probably shouldn't be there. My guess is the shadow belongs to a boom mic and a sound shield or sound man. 

"Harum Scarum" (1965): Tent scene, as reshot in the studio

When "Harum Scarum" came out, the Elvis-Fran Jeffries tent scene bore little resemblance to the sequence that was filmed at Iverson. The scene had been reshot in the studio, with sand, fake plants and a fake background.

Elvis and Fran Jeffries at Iverson, shooting the original tent scene

A number of promo shots from the original Iverson tent scene, including this rare color shot, have surfaced among collectors. While the color reproduction isn't great, the colors are closer to reality than on the colorized promo shot.

Colorized promo shot, with all the wrong colors

The colorized promo shot, seen again here with some color notations, contains one of the most widely circulated photos of the original shoot. But it gets it all wrong when it comes to the colors. Note how the dull green color of the grass resembles AstroTurf, in contrast to the vibrant green of the recent shot.

Most of the promo shots from the Iverson tent scene are black-and-white. In this one, a few of the rocks of Central Garden of the Gods remain visible in the background.

The kiss: Another "Harum Scarum" still from the Iverson tent scene

This kiss between Elvis and Fran Jeffries during the tent scene was reportedly not in the script. But it wasn't exactly improvised, either. The director is said to have worked it into the shoot at the last minute, just after Elvis finished his song to Jeffries, "Animal Instinct."

Studio promo shot: Fran Jeffries, left, Elvis Presley and Mary Ann Mobley

Elvis had his hands full with multiple love interests in "Harum Scarum" — not an unusual scenario for the King, either in the movies or in real life. Vying for the affections of Elvis along with tent scene seductress Fran Jeffries was Mary Ann Mobley, who proved to be a formidable contender in her own right.

"Harum Scarum" promo still: Elvis Presley and Mary Ann Mobley ride the Iverson Gorge

Mobley, too, put in time at Iverson in photo shoots for "Harum Scarum," mainly in horseback scenes with Elvis. For the most part, the horseback shots that made it into the movie featured doubles sitting in for the main actors. But the stars were called to duty for the promo stills, where it's possible to make out their faces even at a distance.

Promo still for "Harum Scarum": Elvis romps among the rocks of the Lower Iverson

Elvis scampered around Iverson in a number of scenes for "Harum Scarum," including this one shot not far from where the tent scene was filmed. This sequence yielded its own promo stills, notably the one seen above, and the footage actually wound up in the movie. Please click here to read an earlier post about this shoot.

"Love me Tender" (1956): Elvis, right, with Neville Brand

Elvis author Bill Bram and I collaborated last month on some research at the former Bell Location Ranch in connection with another Elvis movie, "Love Me Tender," which you can read about in this recent blog post.