William Bendix escapes prison ... only to wind up on the Iverson Movie Ranch

"Crashout" (1955): William Bendix as an escaped convict on the Upper Iverson

Oscar-nominated actor William Bendix — fondly remembered for the TV series "The Life of Riley" and for his performance as Babe Ruth in the 1948 biopic "The Babe Ruth Story" — popped up on the Iverson Movie Ranch after escaping prison in the movie "Crashout," from the little-known studio Standard Productions.

In this scene Bendix's character, escaped convict Van Morgan Duff, rests on a rock on the Upper Iverson's South Rim, with the location pinpointed by a couple of familiar rocks in the background that I call the Saltshakers.

"The Virginian" TV series (1963) — The Saltahakers

Here's a better look at the Saltshakers, from the TV show "The Virginian." The shot comes from the episode "Echo of Another Day," which premiered March 27, 1963, and was probably shot in late 1962.

Coincidentally, the episode was also about someone who had just got out of prison. "The Virginian" ran from 1962-1971, making the NBC series one of the longest-running TV Westerns.

The Saltshakers as they appear today

The Saltshakers are still around, and still look pretty much the same, as this recent photo shows. It might have made more sense to call them the Salt and Pepper Shakers, but "Saltshakers" sums it up well enough.

"Crashout" — guards use Turtle Rock as an observation tower as they search for escapees

The prison escape movie includes this unusual shot of Turtle Rock, located a short distance east of the Saltshakers. Even though Turtle Rock was one of the most distinctive and frequently filmed rock features on the South Rim, I can't recall another production that included a shot of someone standing on top of it.

"Wyoming Roundup" (1952)

Turtle Rock usually looks more like this, as seen in the Whip Wilson movie "Wyoming Roundup." The rock towers above the South Rim, and it would have taken some doing to put someone up there without breaking his neck.

Years before William Bendix hid out on the Upper Iverson, he parlayed his high-profile role as baseball legend Babe Ruth into a series of endorsements — including ads for Chesterfield cigarettes.

In 1949 — one year after the release of "The Babe Ruth Story" — Bendix was associated with a different tobacco brand as part of the Turf Cigarettes Movie Cards series.

Meanwhile, a cartoon version of Bendix as the Babe hawked Popsicles in comic books.

Bendix also had his own comic book series, built around his association with the "Life of Riley" franchise. Bendix played the hapless Chester A. Riley first in a hit radio series that aired from 1944-1951, then in the spinoff 1949 feature film "The Life of Riley" and later on the TV series, which aired from 1953-1958 on NBC.

At one time it seemed as though William Bendix was everywhere — even in a magazine ad for the American Meat Institute.

When he was at Paramount, the studio saw fit to put his mug on a button.

William Bendix and Doug McClure — promo shot for "Overland Trail" (1960)

Bendix didn't do a lot of work in Westerns, but he and Doug McClure co-starred on the short-lived NBC Western TV series "Overland Trail" back in 1960.

William Bendix in "Wake Island" (1942)

Bendix's Oscar nomination came in 1943, for the World War II movie "Wake Island," released in 1942. He was up for Best Supporting Actor, which went to Van Heflin that year, for the film noir "Johnny Eager."

William Bendix, center, on the South Rim in "Crashout"

Here's another shot of Bendix and some of his co-escapees on the Iverson Movie Ranch in "Crashout."

I scanned "Crashout" years ago, but had forgotten about it until film historian Bill Sasser reminded me about the cool Iverson content in the movie. Besides being a movie location buff, Bill is the director-at-large of the Williamsburg Film Festival in Virginia. Thanks, Bill!

What's the last movie filmed on the Iverson Ranch? Not so fast ...

"The Mystic Warrior" (1984) — NOT the last Iverson movie

"What is the last movie filmed on the Iverson Movie Ranch?" ... It's a question that has no real answer, in part because filming at Iverson continues today, albeit on a drastically smaller scale than in decades gone by. But in order to get some handle on the question, we can look at various landmarks along the way — and clearly one of these is the 1984 TV movie "The Mystic Warrior."

Will Sampson in "The Mystic Warrior," first aired in 1984

 
It's noteworthy that references have been made to "The Mystic Warrior" as the last Iverson movie, including in Iverson family biographies — an indication that at least as far as the family was concerned, there was an end to the operation of the movie location business, and that end came in the early 1980s. Why "The Mystic Warrior" was singled out has never been spelled out, but its production coincides with a period in which much of the movie location ranch began to be sold off by the Iverson family.

"The Mystic Warrior": Turtle Rock, left, Gorilla, right, and Oat Mountain, background

The Iverson shoot for "The Mystic Warrior" consisted mainly of one sequence early in the movie that takes place on the Upper Iverson's South Rim, showcasing the features Turtle Rock and Gorilla, along with the ubiquitous Oat Mountain, all of which can be seen, sort of, in this blurry screen shot.

It's an interesting sequence — probably more interesting from a location standpoint than it is for its artistic merits.

"The Mystic Warrior"

The movie places a variety of characters on the South Rim, including Native American warriors.

The sequence is also noteworthy for its levitating spider.

And levitate it does ... over the Iverson's South Rim. They used this angle a lot in the movie, and you can still see Turtle Rock on the left and Gorilla on the right, about midway up.

Most readers won't have noticed the Milliner and his wife beneath the levitating spider, along with their odd-looking but happy son — all formed by rocks with "faces." After spending a certain number of hours looking at rocks, I find stuff like this perversely amusing. Needless to say, your mileage may vary.

As so often happens during a smoky rapture ... a white buffalo appears in "The Mystic Warrior."

"The Tomb (1986)

One reason I tend to resist the idea that "The Mystic Warrior" was the last Iverson movie is this: Within a couple of years of the broadcast of "The Mystic Warrior," another relatively obscure production, the 1986 movie "The Tomb," filmed in the same area on the Upper Iverson where "The Mystic Warrior" shot previously. You can click here to read an earlier blog post with more photos from "The Tomb."

"Support Your Local Sheriff"  (1969) — shot on the Upper Iverson

I've cited "Support Your Local Sheriff!" in the past as a turning point for Iverson, noting that the movie represents a coda to the era when the ranch was somewhat fully dedicated to location work. In practical terms, the movie ranch called it a wrap as a viable business by the end of the 1960s.

Title sequence from "Support Your Local Sheriff": Upper Iverson's North Rim

The heyday for filming on the movie ranch ran from the mid-1930s through the 1950s, coinciding with first the B-movie era and later the early years of the TV business. At the peak, well over 100 movies and TV episodes a year were shot on the ranch. From the end of the 1950s on, the number of productions at Iverson rapidly declined.

Another movie that is sometimes cited as marking the end of the Iverson era is the rarely seen and inauspicious "Motorcycle Cheerleading Mammas," released in 1997. But the truth is the site of the former Iverson Ranch continues to be used by Hollywood today, as it has for more than 100 years now.

Movie trucks parked on Redmesa Road in 2011 for a major shoot in Garden of the Gods

These days the productions include movies, TV shows, webisodes, video games, commercials and just about anything else that can be filmed or videotaped. The flow of productions has dwindled to a barely noticeable trickle over the past several decades, but it has never dried up completely.

"Daybreak" (2012)

Among the recent productions to set up shop at Iverson is the Web series "Daybreak," which shot in and around the mobile home park in 2012. Of course, there's a fundamental difference between filming in the mobile home park, which technically occupies former movie ranch turf, and shooting Iverson in its pure state, with the emphasis on sandstone boulders — as "The Mystic Warrior," "The Tomb" and other later productions did.

Iverson finds its "Bonanza": How the popular TV Western kept the movie ranch rocking in the 1960s — in color!

"Bonanza": Dan Blocker on the Upper Iverson in "The Last Trophy" (March 26, 1960)

Dan Blocker and the rest of the "Bonanza" gang rode the Iverson Ranch on a regular basis for much of the 1960s. Airing from 1959-1973, the wildly popular Western series produced 430 episodes during its 14 seasons on NBC. Of those, about one in ten shot at Iverson.

Michael Landon on Cactus Hill in "The Last Trophy" — the rock behind him is Cowbones

"Bonanza" and a few other TV Westerns of the period such as "Gunsmoke" and "The Virginian" helped fill a void left by the disappearance of the B-Western, both in popular culture and at the Iverson Ranch. As the business evolved, demand from the still relatively new medium of television kept the location ranch in operation.

"The Ride" (Jan. 21, 1962) — Dan Blocker and Pernell Roberts on the Lower Iverson

"Bonanza" accounted for a number of interesting shoots on the Lower Iverson in the 1960s, even as filming in general was winding down in that part of the ranch. For most of the decade, the Upper Iverson maintained a far busier schedule of productions — and "Bonanza" spent plenty of time there, too.

The screen shot from "The Ride" includes the well-known feature Hawk Rock. Filming on the episode took place in 1961 — the same year "Bonanza" became the No. 1 show on television.

Plaque near the base of Hawk Rock (2015)

Today Hawk Rock bears a plaque commemorating the designation of the Garden of the Gods as public parkland.

Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright in "The Crucible" (April 8, 1962)

In an intense episode called "The Crucible," Ben scoured the Upper Iverson's North Rim, above, searching for clues to the disappearance of his son Adam.

"The Savage" (Dec. 3, 1960) — Turtle Rock in the background

The rocky South Rim, on the Upper Iverson, was often strewn with bodies after "Bonanza" rode into town. The heavily filmed area below Turtle Rock was a favorite destination for the series.

Along with the iconic Turtle Rock, the shot features the South Rim staple the Slates.

"The Crucible": Hoss announces the family's arrival at Bobby's Bend, on the South Rim

Turtle Rock resurfaces here, in another shot taken on the South Rim. The scene was part of a major Iverson shoot for the episode "The Crucible," which premiered April 8, 1962.

While Turtle Rock again looms in the background, the shot is framed by two of the most distinctive rock denizens of Bobby's Bend: Wrench Rock, on the right, and the Aztec, on the left.

"The Beginning" (Nov. 25, 1962) — Michael Landon on the Upper Iverson

Location notes that appeared during "Bonanza's" end credits never mentioned the Iverson Ranch. For example, in the credits for the episode "The Beginning," from which the above Iverson shot is taken, the two locations mentioned are Paramount Studios in Hollywood and Incline Village, Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

"The Deadly Ones" (Dec. 2, 1962) — The Southwest Rim

The large rock tower above the tree at the left in this shot is known as Prominent Rock or Medicine Rock. You may also be able to make out Cap Rock toward the right, above the lead horses.

"The Hayburner" (Feb. 17, 1963) — The Fury Set

"Bonanza" set up shop on the old Fury Set in 1962 for "The Hayburner," which premiered early the following year. Located on the Upper Iverson's North Rim, the set was built in 1955 for the TV show "Fury," and continued to be used in movies and TV shows until being consumed by the massive Newhall-Malibu wildfires of 1970.

William Demarest on the Fury Set in "The Hayburner"

William Demarest was one of the veteran actors on hand at Iverson for "The Hayburner." Some readers may recall that Demarest, a TV fixture as Uncle Charley on "My Three Sons," was also a part of the inaugural appearance by the Iverson Movie Ranch Western street, playing Gary Cooper's sidekick in "Along Came Jones."

Ellen Corby in "The Hayburner"

Western movie and early TV mainstay Ellen Corby also popped in at Iverson for "The Hayburner." Here she appears with Michael Landon and William Demarest in the corral area of the Fury Set.

"The Hayburner": William Demarest and the Nike Missile Base

The Nike Missile Base at the top of Oat Mountain also made its way onto the screen in "The Hayburner" — albeit in background appearances that probably went unnoticed at the time.

The missile base was one reason the Iverson Ranch had become less production-friendly by the 1960s.

Charles Bronson gets the drop on Michael Landon in "The Underdog" (Dec. 13, 1964)

The "Bonanza" episode "The Underdog," featuring guest star Charles Bronson, filmed heavily on the South Rim of the Upper Iverson, where the above shot was taken. The episode also featured a tree I call the Charles Bronson Hanging Tree, which is still alive today. You can read about it here.

"The Unwanted" (April 6, 1969): Bonnie Bedelia and Charles McGraw on Cactus Hill

"Bonanza" largely steered clear of the Iverson Ranch for a few seasons in the mid-1960s, before returning near the end of the decade. The hiatus coincided with construction of the 118 Freeway, which split the 500-acre Iverson property in half. The freeway was one of the main reasons Iverson eventually ceased filming operations.

"Death on Sun Mountain" (Sept. 19, 1959): Wrench Rock

"Bonanza" began shooting at Iverson almost from Day 1. The show's second episode, "Death on Sun Mountain" — also known as "The Sun Mountain Herd" — filmed its climactic sequence on the ranch, with guest stars Bek Nelson, Leo Gordon and Barry Sullivan (left to right, above) mixing it up with the Cartwrights on the South Rim.

"Death on Sun Mountain": Little Joe and Adam in a shootout on the South Rim

Even if Michael Landon, Pernell Roberts and the others were "playin' cowboy" during their days at the Iverson Movie Ranch, the Cartwrights were NOT playing when it came to shooting it out with the bad guys. A couple of key players met their fate by the time this exchange was over.

Leo Gordon in "Death on Sun Mountain"

The always intense Leo Gordon did what he did best — being intense — on the South Rim.

Barry Sullivan as Burdette — reaching for the stars

As the typically complex "Bonanza" character Mark Burdette, Barry Sullivan sank his teeth into a role that gave him a chance to be bad ... but not ALL bad.

Bek Nelson as Glory — putting some thought into "Bonanza"

Bek Nelson helped class up the joint during the Iverson shoot for "Death on Sun Mountain." Glory was one of a number of characters who offered thoughts on the word "bonanza" during the course of the episode.

The "Bonanza" title is explained

This is the scene, shot on the South Rim, that gives "Bonanza" its title — or at least some form of an explanation for it. Responding to Burdette's death, Glory tells Adam, "He found his bonanza."

Bek Nelson and Pernell Roberts discuss the "Bonanza" series title

Here's the full exchange between Adam and Glory explaining the title:
Adam: "He came here to strike it rich, find a bonanza, and now he's dead."
Glory: "He found it. He found his bonanza. He found it just as he died. And that's better than never finding it at all, isn't it?"
Adam: "Yes, Glory. It's better."

"The Paiute War" (Oct. 3, 1959): Another episode, another body count

"Bonanza's" fourth episode, "The Paiute War," again featured extensive location footage, incorporating both the Upper and Lower Iverson. The sandstone giant in the top right corner is the Phantom, a fixture of Garden of the Gods on the Lower Iverson. A couple of especially bloody battles take place in this area during the episode.

Jack Warden as the unsavory Mike Wilson in "The Paiute War"

I blame it all on this guy — the Indian-hating Wild West archetype Mike Wilson, played with slimy panache by Jack Warden. Hey, isn't that the rock E.T. behind him? That means Elvis worked here too. Check out this previous post for more about the King and E.T.

"The Paiute War": Garden of the Gods

Here's a nice overview of Garden of the Gods in "The Paiute War," with the camera aimed more or less toward the south. Readers may recognize a number of the rock features seen here.

The foreground area today is filled with condos, but all of the rock features identified here — with the exception of E.T. — have survived and can now be found on public land as part of the Garden of the Gods park.

"The Paiute War" filmed heavily on both the Upper Iverson and the Lower Iverson. In this shot all four Cartwrights arrive on the Upper Iverson, with Cap Rock visible in the background, above Adam, on the left.

Cap Rock continues to appear just above Adam's head — in fact, it almost looks like part of his hat in this two-shot of Adam and Ben.

Brothers Hoss and Little Joe also got their two-shot during the sequence.

In a later scene shot amid the sandstone behemoths of Garden of the Gods on the Lower Iverson, guest star Michael Forest, as Young Wolf, keeps a vigil as his hostage, Adam Cartwright, awaits a chance to escape.

"The Paiute War": Saddlehorn Village

"The Paiute War" included a few shots of Saddlehorn Village, a small cluster of Iverson buildings adjacent to the Saddlehorn Relay Station on the Lower Iverson. I've done a couple of previous blog posts about this rarely filmed set, which you can find here and here.

Jack Warden at Saddlehorn Relay Station

While Saddlehorn Village stood only from about 1958-1966, the heavily filmed Saddlehorn Relay Station stood for about 30 years, going back to 1940.

"Caution, Easter Bunny Crossing" (March 29, 1970)

In a notorious "comedic" Easter episode, Hoss pranced around the Upper Iverson in a bunny costume. The location shoot for "Caution, Easter Bunny Crossing" appears to be the final "Bonanza" shoot on the Iverson Ranch, with filming most likely taking place in late 1969 for the episode's premiere in early 1970.