Mushroom Rock cleans up its act

"Ghost Town Renegades" (1947) — Mushroom Rock, center

This is the classic view of Mushroom Rock, as seen in the Lash LaRue movie "Ghost Town Renegades." The heavily filmed rock was located on the Lower Iverson Movie Ranch, next to a road that was used repeatedly for essentially this same shot, with riders headed north on the road, riding toward the camera.

I've spotlighted Mushroom Rock here, along with a couple of other key elements of the shot — including the presumably dead guy at the bottom of the frame. You never know about "dead guys" in old B-Westerns, because half the time it's just a trick to get you to stop so they can steal your horse.

"The Lone Ranger" TV show (filmed in 1949)

Here's a rare occasion when the riders actually rode on the other side of Mushroom Rock — the east side. This shot comes from an episode of "The Lone Ranger" called "Buried Treasure," which premiered March 2, 1950 — midway through season one.

In case you're wondering about the other distinctive rock in these shots, it's a beauty too. With a canopy far larger than that of Mushroom Rock, Saucer is shrouded in its own mysteries — but that's a topic for another time.

"Wanted: Dead or Alive" (1959)

In this shot Mushroom Rock is on the left, with Saucer toward the right. The scene is filmed from the south, a much less common angle. Here again, the rider has opted to bypass the main road to the west of Mushroom, just visible in the bottom left corner, and instead rides the road less traveled — between Mushroom and Saucer.

The shot comes from an episode of the TV show "Wanted: Dead or Alive" called "Twelve Hours to Crazy Horse," which premiered Nov. 21, 1959.

Mushroom Rock in recent years

For several years now, it has been impossible to see the distinctive cap atop Mushroom Rock because it has been covered with foliage. I commented on this in a recent post, which you can read by clicking here.

At the time I noted that Mushroom's cap remained concealed. But I have some good news to report.

Behold: A cleaner, meaner Mushroom Rock

Mushroom Rock has recently had a "haircut" and can now be seen again in much of its former splendor — possibly for the first time since the filming days.

It's still a rough neighborhood

Mushroom Rock's neighborhood, however, still leaves a lot to be desired. Before we jump to the conclusion that the "haircut" had anything to do with satisfying our aesthetic and nostalgic interest in the rock, the nearby trash bins and stockpiles of construction material might tend to quash such romantic notions.

It can be tricky to match up the shots from before and after the foliage trim, so I've identified some of the markers here. In this recent shot a number of distinctive scars and indentations are noted, along with the rock's "cap."

The same markers can be found in this shot taken before the haircut, allowing for a more accurate approximation of where the cap was hidden. This process reveals that my earlier estimate was off the mark — I needed to place the cap farther to the right.

I'll leave it to readers to come up with your own answers to the obvious question: Why the trim, and why now? The idealist in me still wants to believe someone is looking out for film history buffs and cut back the shrubbery to give us a better look at an old friend. But my cynical side argues that someone probably just wants to pile more junk in the area and the bushes were in the way.

A reflection on Steve McQueen at the Iverson Movie Ranch, in "Wanted: Dead or Alive"

"Wanted: Dead or Alive" (1958) — Steve McQueen and Wrench Rock

I'm a fan of Steve McQueen and a fan of Wrench Rock, so seeing the two of them "work together" in an episode of "Wanted: Dead or Alive" is a treat. The episode, "The Favor," premiered Nov. 15, 1958, during the first season of the CBS Western series. "The Favor" featured an extensive shoot on the South Rim of the Upper Iverson.

On the unlikely chance that you're planning to watch this episode of the show anytime soon, I will warn you now that this blog post WILL give away key plot points.

It goes without saying that Steve McQueen was cool. But as if he needed to prove the point, here he is, rolling a cigarette on the South Rim. McQueen starred as bounty hunter Josh Randall in the series.

Steve McQueen and his trademark "Mare's Leg" repeating rifle make a point 
to Skip Homeier in "The Favor" — the scene is shot on Iverson's South Rim

The plot has McQueen trying to bring in a wrongly accused guy played by veteran character actor Skip Homeier. For the shoot, both Homeier and McQueen romped all over the rocky South Rim and up onto Cactus Hill, with the episode offering nice views in particular of Bobby's Bend, the section of the South Rim where most of the photos in this post were shot.

Steve McQueen on the South Rim

The episode is directed by B-Western veteran Thomas Carr, who was a regular at Iverson throughout his long career in feature films and TV. Carr may be best known for his directing on the TV shows "Adventures of Superman" and "Rawhide," in additon to many episodes of "Wanted: Dead or Alive."

Even though Homeier's character is McQueen's quarry, some bonding occurs between the two men, and they form the beginnings of a friendship.

McQueen and Wrench Rock again — because, why not?

McQueen casts an eye toward the clifftop above Wrench Rock, where Homeier is hiding out after escaping. The scene is shot in "location verite" style, to some extent, meaning that in the real world of the filming location, the clifftop area above Wrench Rock is where Homeier was in fact located as he was being filmed.

Skip Homeier makes a run for it across Rooster Foot Gulley

Rooster Foot Gulley is located on top of the T-Cliff on the northern edge of Cactus Hill, overlooking the South Rim. You may recognize a number of background features in this shot, which looks toward the east.

While Rooster Foot Gulley itself is relatively rare, the other features noted here are commonly seen in productions filmed on the Upper Iverson. Please click on the links in this sentence to see previous posts about Rooster Foot Gulley, Two-Humper and Turtle Rock.

Dummy drop in "The Favor" — unintentionally funny

One of the pivotal sequences in "The Favor" includes an obvious "dummy drop." Not to disparage the show, but dummy drops are almost never convincing, and this one did elicit a spontaneous chuckle. Still, the scene provides a nice look at the Reflecting Pool, as seen from the top of the T-Cliff above the South Rim.

Splash! — The dummy lands in the Reflecting Pool.

Following the dummy drop, the body of Homeier's character lies in the Reflecting Pool below the T-Cliff.

A contemplative McQueen ponders the death of a man he had come to like.

In his moment of reflection, McQueen happens to be standing next to the Reflecting Pool, which is kind of a nice touch. (Even though that name for the pool would not have been in use yet at that time.)

In an unusual effect, rays of sunlight dance up and down over McQueen, reflected onto him by the ripples in the Reflecting Pool caused by Homeier's plunge.

For more of what the Reflecting Pool is all about — and yet another use of "reflecting" as a pun — please click here.