Iverson's Western street: The southern end of town

"Along Came Jones" (1945) — Iverson Village is born as Payneville

For all its well-earned reputation as a rock wonderland that essentially defined the look of the American West in countless productions filmed at the site during the heyday of the movie Western, the Iverson Movie Ranch never possessed a Western town set that could quite match the grandeur of those on the studio backlots and at some of the other L.A. area movie ranches.

"Along Came Jones": Gary Cooper in "Payneville," the town he built at Iverson

Up until 1945, when Gary Cooper decided that he wanted a town built at Iverson for his Western "Along Came Jones" — Cooper's sole credit as a producer — the Iverson Ranch didn't have a town set at all. The Western town that did finally get built in 1945 was relatively modest, but it grew up a bit over the years, and was, let's just say, adequate — especially for the low-budget B-Westerns that were Iverson's bread and butter.

Gene Autry in "The Hills of Utah" (1951): Iverson Village, aka El Paso Street 

Along with Gene Autry in his B-Western "The Hills of Utah," the above screen shot includes a couple of important features of Iverson's Western town: the distinctive stone Saloon building on the right, a landmark that often helps distinguish Iverson Village from other town sets, and Gumdrop, the sharply angular rock in the background, just above the horse's head. Gumdrop, which was positioned prominently at the southern end of town, also often helps identify Iverson Village.

"The Lone Ranger" (filmed in 1949): Gumdrop, at the south end of town

Here's another view of the southern end of Iverson Village, with Gumdrop dutifully marking the spot. This scene is from "The Lone Ranger," featuring footage shot in 1949, originally for the TV show and later repackaged into the "Lone Ranger" movie for release in 1952. Just visible at the top left of the shot is the tip of Church Rock, another marker rock for the southern end of Iverson Village.

Here's the same photo with the two main rock features at the south end of town identified. 

Gumdrop and Church Rock in recent times

As with most shots of the Iverson Village area today, any attempt to depict Gumdrop and other nearby features involves working around mobile homes, as the Indian Hills Mobile Home Village now occupies the spot where the Western street stood. Here is a recent shot of Gumdrop taken from the town set area.

Only the tip of Gumdrop is visible now from this angle, with even less of Church Rock exposed. For another look at Church Rock, Gumdrop (very partial, again) and the southern end of Iverson Village, see this other post.

For a look at the northern end of Iverson Village, click here.

Yet another elephant part found at Iverson

For those of you who just can't get enough elephants, woolly mammoths and other pachydermalia, here's another Iverson oddity to add to the list. This is the Elephant's Trunk, tucked away in a relatively obscure cranny in Garden of the Gods. You may also be interested in Elephant Rock, seen in another post (or click here), and the strange and delightful Woolly Mammoth, which is still getting work in TV. And if you still haven't had your fill of all things elephantine, check this out.

Classic Rock: Devil's Doorway — a "ride-through arch" located on the former Iverson Movie Ranch, featured in countless old Western movies and early TV series

This blog post is part of a series on "Classic Rocks" — rocks located on the former site of the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, Calif., that were featured in old movies, cliffhanger serials and early TV shows. Other entries in the series can be seen by clicking here.

"Oh Susanna" (1936): Devil's Doorway

Devil's Doorway is what might be called a "ride-through arch" — a group of rocks forming an arch that a rider on horseback can fit through. It's one of a number of such structures on the site of the former Iverson Movie Ranch, but it was by far the most often filmed. It could often be seen in B-Westerns and early TV Western series as an entrance to an outlaws' hideout. The above shot from the Gene Autry movie "Oh Susanna" provides the view of Devil's Doorway as seen from the north.

 

Devil's Doorway in recent years

This is what it looks like today from the north. Devil's Doorway is now surrounded by condos.

Here's Devil's Doorway from the south, again from "Oh Susanna." The rocky hilltop in the distance is Cactus Hill, which remains in place today.

This is the view of Devil's Doorway as it looks today from the south.

Classic Rock of the Iverson Movie Ranch: The Wizard

The Wizard sits prominently atop the southeast corner of the Garden of the Gods, overlooking Iverson Gorge and the Santa Susana Pass. This rock can be spotted in a number of movies, but always as a tiny speck in the background. I think the Wizard is ready for his closeup. Mr. DeMille?

Here's a detail of the Wizard's face. It's not the best photo, but he's hard to shoot. In person, in the right light, he's spectacular.

This post is part of a series on "Classic Rocks" — sandstone giants located on the former Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, Calif., that became a part of not only America's physical landscape but also its cultural heritage, through featured roles in old movies, cliffhanger serials and early TV shows. Other entries in the series can be seen by clicking here.

Classic Rock: The Cul de Sac Crew

"The Golden Stallion" (1949): Scene filmed in what is now a cul de sac

The above shot is taken from the Roy Rogers movie "The Golden Stallion," in which the plot revolves around Roy's beloved horse Trigger being accused of killing a guy. 

Along with a really sweet woodie, the shot showcases the Cul de Sac Crew, a rock feature on the former Upper Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, Calif. The tall triangular rock noted here is the feature's defining "character."

"The Adventures of Kit Carson": episode "The Baron of Black Springs"

This shot comes from the TV show "The Adventures of Kit Carson," which aired from 1951-1955. The shot isn't the greatest picture quality, but the photo shows more of the Cul de Sac Crew, at top right. The episode "The Baron of Black Springs" premiered Aug. 9, 1952, early in the second season of "Kit Carson."

Here's a look at the Cul de Sac Crew today, taken from about the same angle, from the middle of the cul de sac.

These days the rock feature is situated at the end of a cul de sac — hence the name. It currently "lives" among the large estates that occupy most of what was once the Upper Iverson. 

Another view of the Cul de Sac Crew in recent times. That's poison oak at its most virulent in the bottom left corner, with some of the leaves having turned red.

The Cul de Sac Crew, circa the 1930s

We get a good look at the Cul de Sac Crew in an old photo believed to be from the 1930s, around when the Iverson family purchased what would become the Upper Iverson.

This post is part of a series on "Classic Rocks" — sandstone giants located on the former Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, Calif., that became a part of not only America's physical landscape but also its cultural heritage, through featured roles in old movies, cliffhanger serials and early TV shows. Other entries in the series can be seen by clicking here.