A drifting cowboy: Meanwhile back at the ranch -- Indian Hills Grove

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Meanwhile back at the ranch -- Indian Hills Grove

'Meanwhile back at the ranch' is a continuing series about "rock stars" (landscape features) on the old Iverson Movie Location Ranch in Chatsworth, California. For more information about the Iverson Movie Ranch see: http://a-drifting-cowboy.blogspot.com/2011/10/iverson-movie-location-ranch-chatsworth.html

Immediately south of today's Indian Hills Mobile Home Village (on a contiguous piece of private property) is the Indian Hills Grove. During the active filming days on the Iverson Ranch the grove area was often used as a chase road.

The area was an interesting mixture of trees and unique large boulders that secluded a stagecoach relay station and a stone cabin that were used as outlaw haunts and the location of many shoot-outs.

Some of the rocks were ideal for a good ol' outlaw ambush scene. One such ambush is foiled in a superb scene from The Trusted Outlaw (1937) when Bob Steele spots the ambusher taking position and turns the tables on him. You'll have to watch it to see for yourself--no spoilers here.

To the south and west of the grove were a connected series of chase roads with their own unique landscape features that I'll discuss in a future post.

A few films in which you'll see the Indian Hills Grove utilized as a chase road include:

The Crimson Ghost (1946) starring Charles Quigley, Linda Stirling and Clayton Moore (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Don Daredevil Rides Again (1951)(photo above) starring Ken Curtis (Iverson Ranch) Republic

The Fabulous Texan (1947) starring Bill Elliott (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Fighting Frontier (1943) starring Tim Holt (Iverson Ranch) RKO

The Gambling Terror (1937) starring Johnny Mack Brown (Iverson Ranch) Republic

Law of the Ranger (1937) starring Bob Allen (Brandeis Ranch)(Iverson Ranch) Columbia

The Marauders (1947) starring William Boyd, Andy Clyde and Rand Brooks (Iverson Ranch) United Artists

Outlaws of Boulder Pass (1942) starring George Houston and Al St. John - PRC

Over the Border (1950) starring Johnny Mack Brown (Iverson Ranch) Monogram

Three Stooges Meet Hercules, The (1962) starring Larry Fine, Moe Howard and Joe DeRita (Iverson) Normandy Prod.

The Tiger Woman (1944) aka "Perils of the Darkest Jungle" starring Allan Lane, Linda Stirling, Duncan Renaldo (Iverson) Republic

The Trusted Outlaw (1937) starring Bob Steele (Brandeis & Iverson Ranch) Republic. Above we get a good look at Pear Rock on the right and Flat Rock on the left of the riders.