CHAPTER ONE
This road-Ince Blvd, named after film pioneer Thomas Ince, leads to this Marine Base.
This puts the lot in perspective in the mid 1960’s. Notice the creek- that’s where we entered in my trespassing adventures. Camp Henderson starts most every visit.
You know you’ve arrived when a MP greets you and paved roads turn to dirt. This set is actually the Main Gate to enter these most historic…40 Acres
The Batmobile should be arriving soon…The Bioscope sign as put up just for Batman in an episode that drives right behind Camp Henderson. Bioscope is known as the historical hub of silent films and news reels. I would find a Silent Film trailer 60 years after this was filmed. the trailer turns 100 years old in 2026. Marion Davies had it built. Nitrate Film from the silent days is stored within sight of this main gate. Fireproof cement bunkers protected the film and their propensity from catching fire.This simple prop reflects the depth of film history in and around these 40 Acres…
Sand Point is Camp Henderson and this set is…The Forty Acre-Desilu Guard Shack. I found this report inside this military outpost where studio backlot security operates out of- located on Ince Blvd.
Military Experiments Gone Wrong…
In this picture I took, 2 barracks are missing after collapsing. Only one full barrack stands, a front door and back door seal the barracks on the right side of the pathway. the barracks on the left have open backs as I explained earlier. The flagpole was located left side of that farthest bungalow, that one is also just a front with no backside. The guard shack is blocked by that structure and that’s the area where Sergeant Carter had his car blow up.
Ronnie Schell, Ted Bessell, and Jim Nabors inside the camp. This set was built for this television series in 1964.
Look who’s kissing ‘That Girl”- Donald Hollinger double dips TV Series at Desilu. 1966-to 1971.
Ronnie and Greg Schell, along with myself in the backseat return to Camp Henderson in 2024 to spin some tales, Ronnie teared up and told me stories of all things this series and this Desilu Studio in general. Ted Bessell was one of Ron’s very best friends as was Jerry Van Dyke.A series that never dipped below the Top Ten in ratings. A hit then and a hit now-60 years later…
Ronnie Schell – Pulling Rank!
Paramount Hollywood handled the interiors for this series- but-Thursdays and Fridays were reserved for location work at Paramount Culver City.
Al Lewis pictured left-“Grandpa” on The Munsters and a prank by Sgt. Hacker that backfired. Every show that films on 40 Acres funnels down the dirt road and eucalyptus trees that hide the surroundings and leads to the main gate.
I had this lunch pail too, along with The Rat Patrol.
Ready, set ….Place your bet-Yellow Bear or Gomer Pyle.
“Slater-keep your eyes out for those ….Dogs on Duty!–One of my favorite pictures with the Baldwin Hills looking down on the lot, That’s where we watched over this lot from, Slater is following- Gomer racing Yellow Bear in an effort to settle a bet between Sergeant Carter and Sergeant Hacker.
Gomer racing Yellow Bear in an effort to settle a bet between Sergeant Carter and Sargent Hacker.
Carter bet on Hackers horse in the race…Pyle won making both Sergeant’s losers. This road borders the creek and is usually our point of entry.
Friendly Freddie hangs out at the two main gates at this camp. A woman Marine, is actually in disguise to visit her husband but can’t resist “cheap sale.” This chain link fence is Camp Henderson’s other gate, ironically, it separates two camps, the other being-Stalag 13. A row of eucalyptus trees, conceals the camps for camera angles.
Sgt. Ronnie Howard in Opie Joins the Marines.
Green recruit quite out of uniform, I wore shoes like Gomer has on here.
What’s with this Private?
Before the barracks were put up, this set stood here and was used in Andy Griffith. For the die hard backlot detectives-Notice the tree behind squad car. It is in every episode since it was the only tree in the camp. The Barracks were on both sides of this tree, a landmark that stayed after the backlot was torn down.It finally died on its own doing of old age-20 or so years later. A natural landmark, two more exact style of trees also were on the western street close by. We called them-The Hanging Trees, where bad folk find the end of a noose.
Before being Gomer Pyle-The Marine- he worked across this tiny dirt road at Wally’s Filling Station. The camp could not have been built any closer. Behind Gomer would become Camp Henderson.
Same area as pictured below, this is the field where military practice takes place.
Before entering…I can’t believe after all the time I spent being part of this camp I would ever meet any of the stars…especially Mr. Cool Duke Slater. God bestowed me a blessing allowing me to climb into my TV Set and let me pull out Mr. Ronnie Schell. Oh my, I will forever be grateful to experience Camp Henderson with the legend and one of the most popular actors in the 60’s. He’s in everything, not just this series, his memories and stories just moved me like a film reel being rewound to the opening credits. Never, could I possibly imagine that this young trespasser who grew up sneaking in this camp would meet this Shaman of Desilu History. I even had a Gomer Pyle lunch pail. I really enjoyed Sergeant Carter blowing his fuse- Frank Sutton played his role so well. This was my world…
We begin in the La Ballona Creek, just kids having fun on a summer afternoon kicking a can, Like the opening Credits of The Andy Griffith Show, also produced by Danny Thomas. Water in the basin is barely deep enough to float a raft as the creek current drains to the sea. Tarzan filmed across the way from this camp set in the R.K.O. version of the Legend of the Jungle.
Eucalyptus trees line the studio property on our other side. Climbing a 10-foot embankment puts you level with the trees. It’s here you scope the terrain. A dirt road separates you from the first sets you come across, which is the Quonset Huts that that make up this camp. Your first move with the coast clear is to run inside the barracks that stand open end facing the creek.
These barracks have lockers and cots inside and movie cameras easily enter through the open back end and face the front door that when open connect to the roll call center of all things barracks. This is the set where everything we do- day or night usually starts here when trespassing this wild movie ranch. What strikes all who do is fascination – the contents in one of the open-end barracks is roughly 25 TV Sets that are sitting inside. This seemed so odd, like a TV Land commercial several decades before those cable outlets even existed.
Think about it in this context, the programming used on these cable networks today was being made where we play every day. Back in the 1960’s. you only had channels 2-13. To watch Gomer Pyle, you watched channel 2-primetime. This was the era all our favorite TV shows and this backlot was a busy as any in Hollywood back in the days when TV’s replaced theater films and TV dinners replaced family table dining. TVs were like toy boxes stuffed full of images and sounds and commercials usually containing muscle cars, alcohol, and movie and TV advertisements. Everyone smoked it seemed- there were no rules against it!
Many commercials were filmed in backlots, once you dare to come inside these sets, you can’t turn the place off because when you go home and turn your TV on- there it is stating at you, the place you just left.
You have entered…The Magic Kingdom
No risk-no reward was taught to me here on these tempestuous backlots. Many friends refused to cross the line, take risk, fearing a trip to jail and the punishment they may receive- if their parents find out. I’m not that kid, I can talk my way out of most situations and when that doesn’t work-I’m a great climber and run really fast. I only had a few close friends to share this old Bioscope backlot with.
Often, I just traveled here alone which creates its own risks. If you fall through a roof for example, you may not make it out of the fall zone and worse-often there is no one inside or close to hear your pleas for help. On the Gomer Pyle sets, there is no fall danger. Unless the corrugated steel framed with 2 by 4’s inside collapses, which happened in strong winds back in 1975.
I have several friends who are a bit older and joined …The Marines!
I would give tours to actual Marines who watched this series and were inspired to join the Corps. Recruitment soared due to this series. The look on their faces might as well symbolize the raising of the American Flag after a decisive battle. They train in Pearl Harbor, Alaska, and San Diego, yet this set resonates to these highly trained warriors that look up to…Gomer Pyle.
A true Cultural Phenomenon
I saw firsthand how a television show steered a course of teenagers minds looking for adventure into the Armed Forces. I was too young to join but I felt like a soldier, especially leading soldiers around this backlot. Jim Nabors was a good friend of Rams Q.B. Roman Gabriel at this time and often would sing the National Anthem before Rams games. Jim is also known to have visited neighborhood kids at this front entrance-the Ince Gate. He loved cherry lifesavers and handed them out to the local girls trying to catch a glimpse inside. Jim would serenade and pass out treats.
From his arrival at the studio on The Andy Griffith Show-5 years later-he starred in his own series and surpassed that series in the all-important ratings game that pitted these shows against each other depending on the time slots the networks positioned you in. Mayberry R.F.D., Hogan’s Heroes, and Star Trek were stiff competitors. Needless to say, Batman surpassed all the other Superheroes, distancing itself from the first Caped Crusader known around here as Superman. Bruce Lee- “KATO” lived a short walk from here on Van Buren Ave. He had charisma and was our favorite hero- besides Batman.
My friend, neighbor, and fellow trespasser Danny Hancock was Bruce’s biggest fan. Danny has a blackbelt in Tang Soo Do and his instructor, John Natividad was in a Bruce Lee film. Instant “street cred” for John...Kato had a special something about him that transcended beyond just being a TV star-he will forever be a very special spirit. While living on Van Buren- Bruce not only a fine neighbor, he wrote his manifesto on his predicted stardom and achievements his spirit resonated. He had a big dog, a boxer, and this Desilu backlot main gate was part of his every day itinerary in the 2 years “1966-67” he lived next door to this entrance on Ince Blvd… Only the Good Die Young!
This camp is so close to the guard shack that in daytime with the gate open and shack occupied, we would avoid it as to not be seen. Escape is simple since you’re right next to the creek. I did get caught here at the edge of camp, security called the police, after a search and interrogation, the police took down our info on what we call “Scare Cards.”
We were trying to get my friends motorcycle, a Honda 350, down the embankment and back into the creek after riding around the backlot, we knew we were in trouble when the guard saw us in Mayberry. We were pretending to be Barney patrolling, when we saw the real backlot sheriff -we sped away. But reinforcements caught us right before we could wrestle this two wheeled contraption down a steep grade. There is no funner place to ride a motorcycle that this backlot.
In my book-Hole in the Fence-Maureen and I take a dirt bike down these dirt roads and city streets in a romp titled…Born to be Wild.
As we finish this tour of the camp, everything is ground level, no stairs leading up to anything or ladders. When inside a barrack, you see every hole in the sloped roof. You can see the clouds in the sky which translate to mud inside when we get rain. The only floor is by the lockers just to see floor as the door opens, the interiors get wet and smell of mold. The light is natural, no light switches, just sun through holes, windows, and doors or the open-faced backside barracks. It’s neat to see the sun’s rays protrude inward, at night moonlight replaces the sun.
The landscape behind the barracks on the North end towards Stalag 13 is green grass and eucalyptus trees, in summertime-this field dies and turns brown with tumbleweeds taking over and blowing into the old west which lies next door. This was a ranch with a studio built into it. Indians, real ones, once occupied this area below the hills and adjacent to the La Ballona Creek.
This spot where Thomas Ince met Harry Culver while filming the original creek with lush landscape on both sides. That was removed by The Army Corp. of Engineers because of flooding all things alongside this creek. Harry Culver steered Ince away from Inceville- by the sea and into a more favorable area for the westerns Ince was making.
Before Gomer’s sets were constructed, a farm was located here used in the Andy Griffith series titled “Ellie Saves a Female’
Every time we watched a rerun after school, usually sandwiched between Gilligan’s Island or The Munsters, we reenacted the scenes using this camp as fast as our bicycles could get us there. Like we had a buzz on-what we just watched we would now go-relive. You can if you listen closely, still hear Sergeant Carter yelling at Private First Class…Gomer Pyle.
All the channels you will ever need….
Phantom of the Backlots 