Tag: 1950s

A Most Mysterious Location- Vasquez Rocks

Phantom of the BacklotLeave a comment

Strange Space Craft are known to come and go from this desolate location that doubles as… The Outer Limits

The Zanti’s invade Vasquez Rocks

“What’s up there?”

“Welcome tiny visitors”…

This craft took off -To the MGM Backlot 3, and MGM Security- known for their shooting prowess- finished this job off on the Backlot. The Zanti Misfits-The Outer-limits

Folks are not always welcome…“People are Strange” applies here.

Who runs this place that has no clocks- just shifting sands to register time…

“Beam me up Scotty…NOW!

My favorite visitors have arrived…

No room for humans here…I wore that helmet at MGM. 1974 T.V series... I had long hair sticking out and a guard who hates me showed up and ran at me. I didn’t move because I had a pass. I also had on Ape hand gloves and a rifle. What a sight to see, crew was around corner having lunch and put on what actors took off to eat. I was more imposing than security. Only thing missing was my horse, which was tied up when this all took place. A great story in my first book- Hole in the Fence

Whose in charge here?

Cowboys and Aliens both roam around here…

We need more cowboys…

Gathering forces…

“We need the most Bad Ass Cowboys in these parts Lee- We’re under attack from Outer Space!“

This calls for a Singing Cowboy- Roy Rogers is on his way Maybe he can bring Peace– On location in “The Fall Guy”

“Just be careful and …I love You!“- My mom use to say that to me every time I walked out the front door.

The Battle for –Ayahuasca…Blazing Saddles 1974

I hear Hollywood is sending in troops..

“We can clean this up”…Says Andy Griffith to a young Jeff Bridges

This film (Hearts of the West) was also filmed on the MGM Backlot in 1975. The following year-Jeff Bridges would return to the MGM backlot for an extended stay on the Block Buster “King Kong” Lots to say on that in my second book – The Uninvited Visitor. Recommended reading unlike anything done on the subject.

“Captain Kirk is our friend out here, you remember that youngster !” says Andy Griffith.

Play dead if your out numbered…

Turns out–In pre historic days...”They made movies here!“-Used as Bedrock in The Flintstones.

Yabba -Dabba – Do... Your mileage may very!

Something called –The Flintstones…Talking about My Generation

(Bed Rock ) can be found at this location.

Blazing Saddles then and now…

Austin Powers – Dr. Evil’s Lair found it’s way to Vasquez Rocks

This film also used the Universal Backlot-New York Street became “London” for a few shots.

1931 -Dracula – picture left is a stage coach opening scene -to the right is a combo matte painting of castle and Vasquez Rocks. Stage Coach headed to castle in both pictures

Vasquez doubles as Tibet- this is my favorite picture of all things done here…Spooky Cool History..“.Lets slide out of here to 1996”

We have arrived in style 1996-“There’s Jerry, Sliding in !

Sliders was a Universal T.V Sci-Fi series broadcast from 1995-2000.. I went On-Location with this show and we filmed at Vasquez Rocks. I operated a Wind Machine, to blow dust in background of a tiny house put together out in the middle of ‘No where.” One of Hollywoods true gentlemen starred in this series, Mr Jerry O’ Connell. My picture with him is from another series that never aired, The Munsters. In the picture on the right, he is in costume as Herman Munster. After 2 weeks of shooting and a boat load of money to build interior/exterior versions of 1313 Mockingbird Lane, Universal had to pull the plug as Director Bryan Singer became entangled in serious legal problems. The concept of this remake was to make a sinister version of America’s Favorite Monster Family.

Location directions- I was a wind machine operator on the TV series- Sliders

We used 4 Ritter Fans a Full Throttle to create Tornadoes. Hot fun in the summertime. Running wind machines with Special Effects is the funnest aspect of my job.

This is a wind machine, better known as a Ritter Fan. Operated by electricians in unison with Special Effects. We control throttle and air speed. Effects tosses debris (leaves, dirt, trash etc) or water in front of the blades for rain storms. They are silent at low R.P.M’s so dialogue can coincide as wind blows on actors. The fan blades are wood and are as big as a propellor on a plane. Actors ‘I’ve Blown Wind Nn” -seriously- include Harrison Ford in the feature (Crystal Skulls), Tom Cruise in (War of the Worlds) and (Minority Report) and my two favorite Pirates, Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, and a ship load of crusty lads aboard – The Black Pearl. Subtle ocean breezes we can control. I want to salute Special Effects for all they do to create what’s needed, there is no such thing as ‘we can’t” -the sky is the limit. Welcome to My World, It’s fun place to be, and I can control the weather.

The World Famous Vasquez Rocks ;

Located in the high desert near Agua Dulce- this park features 932 acres of spectacular rock formations and is a favorite filming location for Hollywood. The history here began in Prehistoric times, so naturally- The Flintstones Production Company built the town of Bedrock on this site. The village is nestled under jagged sandstone rock formations. Estimated to have to been created 25 million years ago. The San Andreas Fault helped shape the rocks we see today.

Included in a long list film history include the 1931 classic Dracula, Blazing Saddles-1974, Austin Powers- The International Man of Mystery -1997.

The Name Vasquez Comes From;

In 1874-Tiburciuo Vasquez, one of California’s most notorious bandits, used these rocks to elude capture by law enforcement. That sounds like movie to me.

Two episodes of Bonanza were filmed here- first in 1964-(Between Heaven and Earth)-a perfect title to describe this area. Joe Cartwright, while climbing the rocks to see the terrain, loses his rifle in a crevice. He becomes reckless and embarrassed. Ben realizes something is wrong and gives him guidance.

In 1966, Bonaza returns in an episode “Ride the Wind.” Sounds like wind machine call to me. The plot- in a nutshell-The Pony Express comes to Virgina City and Little Joe decides to team up with them. That takes us to our Vasquez Rocks location. Indians harshly react to express riders invading their land.

I included a map in this post and I highly recommend visiting this special yet mysterious place with such deep history…

Written and Lived by…Donnie Norden.

Follow me back to 1976 in my most recent book …”The Uninvited Visitor.” Available on Amazon. The Book with King Kong on the Cover.

MGM Lot 3-Roads Less Traveled

Phantom of the Backlot4 Comments

I know the guards, Al Black, pictured in guard shack and MGM Lot 3 entrance. Another grizzled veteran, Les Green. Al was the most difficult guard to escape from due to his athleticism, Les, well, he may just shoot you, MGM security often used “salt rock” in the backlots…Al Black has chased me more than any guard at MGM, he never caught me, he had is hands on me as I jumped off the fence once and I needed stitches to close the gash. He was grabbing my hand right when I jumped. This is a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

My Art Department picture dated Feb 9, 1949-10 A.M, to be exact …Right side of frame has the fence and on the other side is another Eucalyptus Road in a grove on the oil field side.

Every great adventure begins with...A Hole in the Fence. The Eastern MGM border connects to the Southern border here. The fence post “rusted “is original to MGM. The wall you see was also a chain link fence back in the Backlot days.

Just ask Todd Spiegelberg about lurking dangers…The MGM Curse is still in effect...This is the area we snuck in at, the weak link in the chain of fences. I couldn’t help but laugh at his injury, he is now in the club of –Blood Brothers. We have all had bad days, it’s how you earn stripes

Roads less traveled – many still exist. Chances are, you will find me here wondering around Eternity Road. Be careful if your dog picks up the scent of Brimstone.I am the closest thing to Hyder Simpson you will ever meet.

Yellow line indicates the area most used to trespass.In a jungle know for Tarzan...We often Appeared Notice Eucalyptus Road inside MGM, but it has a sister grove on the oil field side of the fence.

This is that Eucalyptus grove today. My dog hunts where Mr. Hyder Simpson and his dog RIP went “coon hunting” in The Twilight Zone.

Wildlife that passes by to this day include…Coyotes, foxes, raccoons, skunks, owls, Canadien Geese, ducks and Crawdaddy’s. I transported crawdad’s from MGM Lot 2, as the lake was being drained once and for all, I transferred the crawfish whose pond was turning to mud, to this MGM lake that partially still exists. Picture me on a ten speed bicycle, going back and forth down Overland with buckets of crawfish hanging on my handle bars. I was so despondent, on a mission of mercy…

A Full Moon- over MGM Lot 3

Many of these trees still exist, witness to all history, both in film and oil production. The drainage channel is here to prevent rain run off from inundating the former MGM Backlot and now it’s replacement …Raintree. This concrete catch basin was a safe refuge, like a trench in WW1. When your being pursued, this was you exit and and security unloads their weapons. Real Combat, happens here!

Original trees east border, wall replaced barb wire fence. The steel pole in the picture most right was for oil well tie downs. This was an oil field when MGM was shooting on their side of the fence. This area has had their oil wells removed that existed going back to 1924. Original trees still can be found all over this development. This lot was the first one I saw demolished, of course I was devastated.

In my MGM Art Still-notice the fence. A four footer with 3 strands of barbwire, Made to discretely blend into the landscape. WLA College lies beyond this area today. The Football Field-the team name in the 70’s, when Warren Moon, NFL Hall of Fammer was the QB, was “The Oilers.”

My first ever sneak in happened at this rock formation which of course is fake. All kinds of platforms to position actors on. Shells remained from Combat, here- and in all the French Villages in the series. That show was all things...GUNFIRE!

Eternity Lane-“Man will walk into hell with both eyes wide open…But even the devil can’t fool a Dog!” …No truer words

I live this everyday...Every dog I’ve ever had has watched this episode with me then-then we go relive it!

We Begin in an era of war, “Vietnam”- music “Woodstock” and the infamous MGM Studio Auction.

The landscape we traverse backwards through. MGM filled the 60’s with the best War TV of any studio ever by far. Combat, The Rat Patrol, Garrison’s Gorillas, and Jericho. Features include The Dirty Dozen, The Bridge at Remagen, and Kelly’s Heroes. Ice Station Zebra even filmed here on MGM Lot 3.

The gunfire these shows delivered were twice what you see on your TV screen. Reverse angles create more and more noise, machine guns, rifles and bombs. Part of growing up next to MGM, it was the hook that became overwhelming and fueled an addiction that has never stopped. I have all these series and watch stuff daily-60 years later.

What you may not realize is, half this landscape still exists. On the oilfield property and also WLA College. As flowers bloom, hummingbirds hum and butterflies flutter, I remember when gunfire was king. Upsetting and even terrifying nature’s paradise. The sounds of war are long gone, peace has been achieved.

The Eucalyptus Road was actually two roads, one existing the oil field side and the other on the MGM side of the fence. This is the jungle area of a backlot that covered 67 acres. Three of the four studio fences were framed by Eucalyptus trees. This backlot had more trees than any backlot with Universal a close second, depending on your math. Universal has the most Oak Trees.

Looking back now in a time when almost every old set in existence has been removed from our Hollywood backlots I respect something I never expected to say ” this development captured the spirit of this MGM Lot 3. A partial lake with “my generation of transported Lot 2 crawfish” and many original trees were preserved. I rescued the craw daddy’s from death when they drained the Tarzan Lake on Lot 2 and bucketed them cross town to this former MGM lake. Lot 2,Studio Estates, saved nothing, absolutely nothing.

Plaques of how things were remind all who read them of what once was. I feel like I’m at MGM Lot 3. It is embedded in my mind as if it’s still 1969.

Written and lived by…Donnie Norden