Off the Beaten Path: Vic Morrow and the fighting 361st patrol L.A.'s Franklin Canyon on the World War II drama series "Combat!"

Vic Morrow — ABC promotional still for "Combat!" (1964)

My guess is the most fondly remembered World War II TV drama series of all time is "Combat!" — even though as a kid who didn't know any better, I was probably more deeply influenced by "Rat Patrol."

"Combat!": Rick Jason, left, and Vic Morrow in season one

While the fictional 361st Infantry Regiment, led by Vic Morrow's Sgt. Saunders and Rick Jason's Lt. Hanley, never managed to fight its way out of France over the course of five seasons, most of the iconic sets representing the French countryside were in fact located much closer to home.

Jason as Lt. Hanley, left, and Morrow as Sgt. Saunders

The series filmed regularly in Franklin Canyon, literally in the middle of Los Angeles — nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains, Franklin Canyon is said to mark the geographic center of the city. Many of the bombed-out hulls of buildings seen on "Combat!" were built in what is now the main parking lot for Franklin Canyon Park.

Franklin Canyon — the geographic center of Los Angeles

These days Franklin Canyon is known more for its natural beauty and stands out as a scenic oasis amid the urban sprawl of L.A. — while much of its movie and TV history remains undocumented.

"The Losers" (Sept. 20, 1966)

Intrepid photographer and location researcher Jerry Condit has been exploring Franklin Canyon, and he recently shared some great shots of locations used on "Combat!" In the above scene from the episode "The Losers," Sgt. Saunders, played by Vic Morrow, mows down German soldiers as he and his unit try to take a bridge.

Here's the same spot as it appears today in a recent photo taken by Jerry, with the old railing still in place. "The Losers" aired early in the show's fifth and final season.

"Nightmare on the Red Ball Run" (Feb. 28, 1967)

In a scene from one of the show's last few episodes, Kirby and Littlejohn take cover behind a culvert during a sequence filmed in Franklin Canyon. "Combat!" aired from 1962-1967 on ABC.

Jerry took this shot of the same culvert as it appears today, almost 50 years after the men of the 361st Infantry Regiment — aka King Company — defended the position.

"Nightmare on the Red Ball Run"

The culvert can be seen again in the background as Kirby, played by series regular Jack Hogan, crouches in the foreground. Season five was the only season of "Combat!" shot in color.

Here's a similar view of the culvert from a recent visit to the site by Jerry.

"Nightmare on the Red Ball Run"

A German half-track sits in a flat area of Franklin Canyon. This area was used extensively in "Combat!," with the crew constructing numerous sets such as farmhouses, bunkers and ruins on the site.

Today the scenic canyon is a popular hiking area, and this spot where the half-track sat is now a parking lot. Jerry mentioned that he had to get to the site in the early morning to get these shots — before the lot filled up with cars.

"The Letter" (Oct. 25, 1966)

The men of the 361st use a large water pipe for cover during a firefight in an episode from early in season five.

In a terrific "then and now" match, Jerry was able to find the old pipe still at the site.

Here's a wider view of the pipe and its setting in recent times.

"It Happened One Night" (1934): Claudette Colbert, Clark Gable ... and the Franklin Canyon myth

Franklin Canyon has frequently been cited as the location for the famous hitchhiking scene in Frank Capra's classic comedy "It Happened One Night," starring Claudette Colbert's left leg. However, the current consensus is that those citations are incorrect and the scene was filmed elsewhere. Some sources have indicated that it was shot on Foothill Boulevard in Sunland, but a confirmation of the actual site remains elusive.

Perhaps the most famous Franklin Canyon shoot of all is the title sequence from "The Andy Griffith Show," with Andy and Opie doing some father-son bonding during a fishing and rock-throwing visit to the site.



Here's a short clip of the "Andy Griffith Show" opening featuring Franklin Canyon — and also featuring that whistled theme song that at least one generation of TV viewers will never get out of our heads.

TV theme writer extraordinaire Earle Hagen

Next time you need to circumvent an ottoman or shout down a "trivia bully," try breaking out this tidbit: The theme song to "The Andy Griffith Show" has a name — "The Fishin' Hole" — and was written by ... AND whistled by ... Earle Hagen. A master of the TV theme song, Hagen wrote much of the soundtrack we have lodged in our heads, including the themes for "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "I Spy," "That Girl" and "Gomer Pyle-USMC."

"Combat!": Guest star Sal Mineo, left, and series star Vic Morrow (1965)

"Combat!" featured an impressive lineup of guest stars during its five-season run. Besides Sal Mineo, above, the guest list included Robert Duvall, James Coburn, Tab Hunter, Luise Rainer, Leonard Nimoy, James Caan, Mickey Rooney, Claudine Longet, Dennis Hopper, Ricardo Montalban, Lee Marvin and many other household names.

Off the Beaten Path is a series of posts that stray from the usual subject matter of this blog, which is the Iverson Movie Ranch. Past subjects have included Bell Ranch, Pioneertown, Corriganville, Oak Park and other old filming locations. You can go directly to the Off the Beaten Path posts by looking up the term "Off the Beaten Path" in the long index of labels at the right of the page, or by clicking here.

Where did Fuzzy Knight place the dynamite in "Boss of Bullion City" ... and how much damage did he do?

Fuzzy Knight, left, Johnny Mack Brown and Maria Montez in "Boss of Bullion City" (1940)

Veteran B-Western sidekick Fuzzy Knight has a scene in the Universal picture "Boss of Bullion City" where he places some dynamite in a rock, and in the process he appears to use an ax to chip away at the rock. I wanted to see whether I could find the exact spot, and whether any actual damage was done to the rock.

"Boss of Bullion City" — Fuzzy Knight at work on the South Rim

Here's a shot of Fuzzy at work on the rock. Finding the spot was easy, as it's in a widely filmed part of the Upper Iverson and the instantly recognizable Wrench Rock appears at the left of the shot. The area where Fuzzy is working is part of the T-Cliff, also known simply as the Cliff, one of the largest rock features on the South Rim.

In this shot Fuzzy is swinging the ax right into the hole as he tries to make the hole large enough to fit the dynamite. Some of the screen shots I was able to get off my DVD version of the movie are a bit ... well, fuzzy. But the shot pinpoints where the ax came in contact with the rock.

Fuzzy checks his work, and we get a look at the hole in the rock.

Even in a wider shot, the hole is plainly visible. One thing that makes this spot relatively easy to locate is a missing piece of rock surface right near the dynamite hole. This section where the surface has fallen off can be seen in other productions and can be easily found at the site.

This version of the shot points out two key elements in finding the dynamite hole: the hole itself, and the nearby area where the surface material has fallen off the rock. I have pondered the question of whether the missing hunk of surface material has anything to do with the production of this sequence for "Boss of Bullion City."

A closeup shows Fuzzy placing the dynamite in the hole he has apparently created in the rock. The question of whether the antics of Fuzzy and the rest of the "Boss of Bullion City" crew may have helped pry loose the nearby surface material is probably unanswerable — but that doesn't prevent us from contemplating it.

Is Fuzzy contemplating the damage to the rock?

Production on the movie would have taken place in 1939, which was still early in the use of the Upper Iverson as a filming location. I have yet to run across any earlier movie shots of this area, which could help determine whether the damage to the rock was fresh at the time "Bullion City" was in production. In the absence of such evidence, I'm willing to assume the slab fell off as part of the natural erosion process.

It may be worth pointing out that I'm not investigating any damage from the dynamite itself, as any explosions would have been handled by special effects. The possible damage I'm tracking involves the creation of the hole in the rock where the dynamite was placed and any collateral damage to nearby rock surfaces.

"Teenage Caveman" (1958): Robert Vaughn, the dynamite hole and the missing slab

Here's the same spot as it appears almost two decades later in Roger Corman's cult film "Teenage Caveman." That's future "Man From U.N.C.L.E." Robert Vaughn in the title role of the Teenage Caveman. I may be stating the obvious, but Vaughn was no teenager at the time — he was about 25 when the movie was made.

The pertinent features seen in "Boss of Bullion City" are easy to spot again here, but to avoid ambiguity, here's a labeled version of the photo.

This is what the rock looks like today, with Fuzzy's handiwork still easy to spot. The site retains both its presumed natural scars — notably the missing slab of surface material — and its movie scars, such as the dynamite hole.

The dynamite hole and missing surface hunk are marked again here. One thing you may have already noticed is that a bigger, better hole for setting up dynamite appears to already be in place at the base of the rock — seemingly a more logical place to do meaningful dynamite work.

The obvious question comes to mind: Why would the filmmakers want to bash a hole into the rock in the first place — especially in such a silly spot, and especially when a better hole was already available directly below that spot. Of course, we're beating our heads against a rock wall if we're looking for logic in a B-Western.

Field operative Cliff Roberts snapped this closeup of Fuzzy's dynamite hole on a recent visit to the site. My faith in human nature tells me to assume the hole occurred naturally, rather than being created by Fuzzy or a crew member swinging an ax into the rock. But it does have the appearance of something that was created intentionally, and I'm probably giving the film crew too much credit.

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.