BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT VALLEY READY FOR ITS CLOSE-UP AS SITE OF EARLY FILM CLASSICS.Byline: ANGIE VALENCIA-MARTINEZ Staff Writer WEST HILLS - In the early 1960s, Shadow Ranch was a hotbed hotbed, low, glass-covered frame structure for starting tender plants. It differs from a cold frame only in that the soil is heated—either artificially as by underground electric wiring or steampipes, or naturally with partially fermented stable manure, which of scandal, salacious sa·la·cious adj. 1. Appealing to or stimulating sexual desire; lascivious. 2. Lustful; bawdy. [From Latin sal lies and rumors of lesbianism lesbianism: see homosexuality. lesbianism also called sapphism or female homosexuality, the quality or state of intense emotional and usually erotic attraction of a woman to another woman. . On the big screen, that is. The San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. site emerged as one of the stars at the heart of "The Children's Hour See also The Children's Hour (disambiguations) Children's Hour—at first: "The Children's Hour", from a verse by Longfellow (1)—was the name of the BBC's principal recreational service for children (as distinct from "Broadcasts to ," the adult-theme movie featuring Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine in which a troublemaking student at a girls' school Girls' School was a single by Paul McCartney and his former band Wings. Written and produced by Paul McCartney it was the other side of the double A-side with Mull Of Kintyre,and was the band's sole UK number one, spending nine weeks at the top in December 1977 and January accuses two teachers of being lesbians. And it is just one of dozens of Valley locations that have become famous -- or infamous -- in hundreds of films over the years. Now, a group of volunteers has formed the Cinema Heritage Project, hoping to highlight and preserve the Valley's film legacy. "Our purpose is to reconnect the residents of the area with our rich heritage as a backdrop for America's great movies," said Dan Brin, the group's chairman. "This is our history. We want to help others connect with history." In the early days of filming, studios bought large tracts of undeveloped land in the region for shoot locations -- much of it in the Valley. "They built ranches, extra lots in wide-open spaces so they can do more outdoor type of shooting where they can have a railroad, horses and cattle, lakes and forests," said Jonathan Kuntz, a Porter Ranch resident who teaches Hollywood history at UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX . "Since the birth of Hollywood, particularly as we moved into the sound era, you see pieces of the Valley in 99 percent of classic Hollywood movies. Almost all of the Westerns were shot here." Kuntz said the Valley was popular with location scouts because of its proximity to Hollywood, good weather and vast open space. The grass-roots Cinema Heritage Project -- with volunteers from West Hills and Canoga Park -- is hoping to highlight that history with on-location screenings of some of the films shot in the Valley. "We're showing films on location and contacting casts and crews and other key people to come and talk about the making of the film," said Barry Seybert, a West Hills resident who works in the film industry and is a group volunteer. The group's first showing is today, but it hopes to hold future events at Ahmanson Ranch in the Simi Hills The Simi Hills are a low rocky mountain range in Southern California. Geography Simi Hills is located on the western edge of the San Fernando Valley, United States. They run east-west and they extend 26 miles east-west, and 7 miles north-south. in Ventura County and Iverson Ranch nestled among the rocky cliffs and hills of Chatsworth. Scenes in "Gone with the Wind" were filmed at Ahmanson, which was then known as Lasky Mesa. Movie producer Jesse Lasky first bought the 4,000-acre ranch, noted for being the film location for "The Thundering Herd Thundering Herd A commonly used reference to the firm Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith, Inc., that derives from the firm's large size and its use of bulls in its advertising. " and "They Died with Their Boots On." Iverson Ranch is among one of the most prominent film locations, featured in Roy Rogers
Leonard Franklin Slye (November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), who became famous as Roy Rogers, was a singer and cowboy actor. and John Wayne movies. Brin said the group hopes to hold an Iverson Ranch event early next year that could include a barbecue and country-western dancing. Steve MacDonald, president of FilmL.A. Inc., a private, nonprofit agency that oversees on-location productions, said the Valley drew film producers because its open space could be transformed to look like just about anywhere. "Legend has it that more than 2,000 films and countless early TV episodes were shot at the Iverson Ranch near the Santa Susana Pass Santa Susana Pass is a mountain pass connecting Simi Valley to the San Fernando Valley. The road used to be an Indian trail, and later a wagon road (a famous part was called Devil's Slide) before the road was paved. ," MacDonald said. "The Valley has been used for countless Westerns." The Cinema Heritage Project also hopes to screen a selection of films by European silent-film star Francis Lederer during a two-day event at Hidden Chateau and Gardens in West Hills -- now used for garden parties and weddings. Lederer and his wife, Marion, built the mission-style structure in 1934 as a stable for their horses. The building was designated a historic monument by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission in 1974. Cinema Heritage Project organizers said they hope the classic screenings will highlight another side of Hollywood. "It's nice to know about the stars from the past instead of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton," said Ron Sobel of West Hills, a project member. "We want to introduce people to movie stars from 25 to 30 years ago who are not at the forefront today. "A lot of young people don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. who Audrey Hepburn was." angie.valencia(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3699 If you go The Cinema Heritage Project is presenting a free screening of "The Children's Hour" at 7 p.m. today at Shadow Ranch Park, 22633 Vanowen St., West Hills. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, 2 boxes Photo: (1) Cinema Heritage Project volunteers Ron Sobel, left, and Dan Brin take pride in the role this house in Shadow Ranch Park in West Hills played in the filming of "The Children's Hour." Tina Burch/Staff Photographer (2) Shirley MacLaine, James Garner and Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 MGM MGM in full Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. U.S. corporation and film studio. It was formed when the film distributor Marcus Loew, who bought Metro Pictures in 1920, merged it with the Goldwyn production company in 1924 and with Louis B. Mayer Pictures in 1925. film "The Children's Hour" Box: (1) Valley shoots SOURCES: Cinema Heritage Project and FilmL.A. Inc. Gregg Miller/Staff Artist (2) If you go (see text) |
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