Masked Men Behind Every Rock

With the new Lone Ranger movie coming to theaters next week (July 3, 2013) I've been thinking about all the wonderful masked men that have galloped across Chatsworth filming locations over the years.

It all began with Zorro (Spanish for "The Fox") which was originally created in 1919, but found its way to Chatsworth and the Iverson Ranch by 1936, when Republic Pictures released The Bold Caballero starring Robert Livingston.

Among the many masked crusaders that plied their trade in Chatsworth's rocky hills were Zorro, The Lone Ranger, Batman, The Durango Kid and a plethora of other phantom riders who concealed their true identity behind a mask...

Zorro -- Movies, Serials and TV...

The Bold Caballero (1936) - Robert Livingston, Heather Angel, Sig Ruman (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Zorro Rides Again (1937) [serial] John Carroll, Helen Christian, Reed Howes (Iverson Ranch) Republic.  The above photo, courtesy of Bruce Hickey, is the famous Yakima Canutt.

Zorro's Fighting Legion (1939) [serial] Reed Hadley, Sheila Darcy, William Corson (Iverson Ranch)(Burro Flats) Republic

The Mark of Zorro (1940) - Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Basil Rathbone (Iverson Ranch)(Corriganville) 20th Century Fox

Zorro's Black Whip (1944) [serial] George J. Lewis, Linda Stirling, Lucien Littlefield (Garden of the Gods, Iverson Ranch) Republic

Son of Zorro (1947) [serial] George Turner, Peggy Stewart and Roy Barcroft (Iverson Ranch) Republic (photo courtesy of Bruce Hickey)

Ghost of Zorro (1949) [serial] Clayton Moore, Pamela Blake, Roy Barcroft (Iverson Ranch) Republic

"Zorro" television series (1957 to 1959) starring Guy Williams (Iverson Ranch) Walt Disney

The Sign of Zorro (1958) [TV movie] - Guy Williams, Henry Calvin, Gene Sheldon (Iverson Ranch) Walt Disney

Zorro, the Avenger (1959) [TV movie] - Guy Williams, Charles Korvin, Henry Calvin (Iverson Ranch) Walt Disney

Batman -- Serials...

Batman (1943) [serial] Lewis Wilson, Douglas Croft, J. Carrol Naish (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

Batman and Robin (1949) [serial] Robert Lowery, Johnny Duncan, Jane Adams (Iverson Ranch) Columbia

The Lone Ranger -- Movies, Serials and TV

Lone Ranger, The (1938) [serial] Lee Powell, Chief Thundercloud, Silver King the Horse and Lynne Roberts (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Lone Ranger Rides Again (1939) [serial] Robert Livingston, Chief Thundercloud and Duncan Renaldo (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Hi-Yo-Silver (1940) - Lee Powell, Chief Thundercloud and Lynne Roberts (Iverson Ranch) Republic

"The Lone Ranger" TV series (1949-1957) 221 episodes with Clayton Moore, Jay Silverheels and John Hart (photo courtesy of Bruce Hickey)

Lone Ranger, The (1956) - Clayton Moore, Jay Silverheels and Lyle Bettger (Iverson Ranch) Warner Bros.

The Durango Kid...

Charles Starrett gained fame for his role as the Durango Kid.  He first played his famous alter-ego character in "The Durango Kid" (1940), then between 1944 and 1952 he went on to make a total of 64 Durango Kid titles.  The Durango Kid films combined vigorous action sequences (often with speeded up camera work) and spectacular stunts performed by Jock Mahoney, all backed up with plenty of western music.

More Masked Men... (just a few of many)

Mystery Mountain (1934) [serial] starring Ken Maynard, Tarzan, Verna Hillie, Syd Saylor (Iverson Ranch) Mascot

Vigilantes Are Coming, The (1936) [serial] Robert Livingston, Kay Hughes, Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams, Raymond Hatton (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Adventures of the Masked Phantom, The (1939) - Monte Rawlins, Betty Burgess and Art Davis (Brandeis Ranch) Equity Pictures

Kansas Terrors, The (1939) {Three Mesquiteers} Robert Livingston, Duncan Renaldo, Raymond Hatton (Burro Flats) Republic 

Phantom Rancher (1940) starring Ken Maynard, Dorothy Short, Harry Harvey and Ted Adams (Brandeis Ranch) Colony 

Heroes of the Saddle (1940) {Three Mesquiteers} Robert Livingston, Ray Hatton, Duncan Renaldo (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Covered Wagon Days (1940) {Three Mesquiteers} Robert Livingston, Ray Hatton, Duncan Renaldo (Burro Flats) Republic

Masked Rider, The (1941) - Johnny Mack Brown, Fuzzy Knight and Nell O'Day (Iverson Ranch) Universal

Trail of Terror (1943) - Dave O'Brien, James Newill, Guy Wilkerson (Corriganville) PRC

Mask of the Avenger (1951) - John Derek, Anthony Quinn, Jody Lawrance (Iverson Ranch) Columbia