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BACK AT THE RANCH; PARK MIXES TRAILS WITH FILM SHOOTS.


Byline: Sonia Giordani Daily News Staff Writer

Ambling This article is about the four-beat intermediate gaits of horses. For more information on how horses move, see Horse gait.
The term Amble or Ambling is used to describe a number of four-beat intermediate gaits of horses.
 down the single dirt road dirt road n (US) → camino sin firme

dirt road nchemin non macadamisé or non revêtu

dirt road dirt n
 that cuts through the old Western Town, Maryann Warren stopped to watch the cast and crew bring a TV show to life on the set of Paramount Ranch.

``It's just fabulous. I've never been on a movie set in my life,'' said Warren, leaning against the wood-post gate as ``Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'' filmed nearby.

Warren said she and her husband have spent their retirement visiting the country's national parks This is a list of national parks ordered by nation. Africa
See also:
  • Algeria
  • Botswana
  • Chad
  • Ethiopia
  • Gabon
  • Kenya
  • Madagascar
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
. That's what drew the Nevada couple recently to Paramount Ranch, a 750-acre portion of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area: see National Parks and Monuments (table). .

But Warren said she never dreamed of finding a full-fledged movie set and working crews on her visit.

``Oh, I think this is a good use of park land. Everybody can enjoy it,'' she said.

Camera crews and Hollywood actors have transformed the dirt trails of Paramount Ranch into lively downtown roads ever since Paramount Studios first leased and later purchased the property in the 1920s.

Until the end of WWII WWII
abbr.
World War II


WWII World War Two
, the site served as the set to hundreds of films starring such actors as Marlene Dietrich, Gary Cooper and Bob Hope.

The Paramount property was sold off in smaller parcels to various investors. Since 1980, the recreation area and the National Park Service have managed to acquire 750 acres of the original Paramount Ranch area.

``Some visitors don't realize this is a national park - this is not Paramount Studios anymore or CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. ,'' said David Meske, a National Park Service ranger.

``We're not in the business of attracting movie companies, but we allow filming to continue here because this site was historically used in movies,'' he said. ``And it draws people to the park - gives them a chance to see a national park that's a little different from the rest.''

Meske said the ranch's three trails draw local residents and regular hikers or joggers to the mountains each day. Hundreds more stop by each week to watch the filming.

Since the fall of 1991, CBS has leased the southwestern portion of the property for about $210,000 a year to film ``Dr. Quinn,'' said recreation area spokeswoman Jean Bray.

The vacant buildings, many of them previously used as storage facilities, have been transformed into old-style saloons, saddle shops and drug stores. Additionally, a train depot put in as Western Town was transformed into Dr. Quinn's hometown of Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, city (1990 pop. 281,140), seat of El Paso co., central Colo., on Monument and Fountain creeks, at the foot of Pikes Peak; inc. 1886. It is a year-round resort and a booming military, technological, and commercial city. , Colo.

Many say Paramount Ranch's 50-year history with the world of film has distinguished the site throughout the country and around the world.

``It's a beautiful area with a lot of important biological habitats and with great cultural significance as well,'' said Phil Holmes Phil Holmes (April 16, 1972) is a British radio DJ and presenter on Palm 105.5. He lives with the "Present Mrs Holmes" and they have a daughter, who's 7 and a son due September 2007. , cultural anthropologist Noun 1. cultural anthropologist - an anthropologist who studies such cultural phenomena as kinship systems
social anthropologist

anthropologist - a social scientist who specializes in anthropology
 for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

This year, Holmes and other agency members have been working to win a spot for the ranch on the National Register of Historic Places This article is about the U.S. Register. For the National Register of Historic Places in Canada see Canadian Register of Historic Places.

The National Register of Historic Places
.

``Paramount pioneered the idea of studios developing their own studio ranches. These studios managed to encapsulate en·cap·su·late
v.
1. To form a capsule or sheath around.

2. To become encapsulated.



en·cap
 American culture on films that were exported throughout the world,'' he said.

Still today, scenes of the ranch tour the world as ``Dr. Quinn'' has become an internationally recognized television drama.

``Many European tourists ask about Paramount Ranch when they visit the Los Angeles area,'' said Howard Hurst, a Malibu resident and a manager at the Malibu Beach RV Park.

``Even when I have friends visiting, I like to bring them here. I think it's a great place. A lot of times, my wife and I will come out and watch them shooting an episode,'' Hurst said.

FACT BOX

WHAT: Ranger-led history walk of Western Town movie site

WHERE: Paramount Ranch on Cornell Road south of Kanan Road

WHEN: 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays; 9:30 a.m. on first and third Saturdays of each month

INFORMATION: Call (818) 597-1036 Ext. 201.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, box

PHOTO (1 -- color) Western Town at Paramount Ranch has been home to CBS-TV's ``Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'' since 1991.

Bob Halvorsen/Daily News

(2) Tourists are now able to watch the filming in Western Town.

Bob Halvorsen/Daily News

Box: Fact box (see text)
COPYRIGHT 1997 Daily News
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 1997, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Publication:Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
Date:Dec 1, 1997
Words:688
Previous Article:WELFARE WORKERS TO BE RETRAINED; DOZENS TO SHIFT FROM FIGURING GRANTS TO FINDING JOBS FOR NEEDY.
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