2/28/2022 Chatsworth Historical Society - Iverson Ranch Silent Movie Sets 1

Silent Movie Sets at the Iverson Ranch

1923 1921 1926

1923

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Topics Covered

This presentation was prepared by Dennis Liff, Chatsworth Movie Historian.

This presentation shows examples of spectacular sets that were created at the

Garden of the Gods, at Iverson Movie Ranch, during the silent movie era. It

analyzes movie stills and publicity photos used from these early times, and

discusses how the magnificent and unique silent movie sets were created.

It covers 4 silent movies, and includes silent movie scenes filmed in Chatsworth

for the following three movies:

1923 Three Ages –Buster Keaton

1921 Man-Woman-Marriage

1926 Tell it to the Marines

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Three Ages

is a 1923 silent film starring comedian Buster Keaton

and Wallace Beery.

Three plots are intercut in three different historical

periods—prehistoric times, ancient Rome, and

modern times (the Roaring Twenties)

The film's badly decayed negative was rediscovered

in 1954 and has since been restored.

The film is available for download at

https://archive.org/details/Silent_ThreeAges_1923

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We will now show two short film

clips from the 1923 movie

Three Ages

The first clip is the

credits/beginning, 6 minutes long

Available on YouTube at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxsL42onTxw

Or search for “Three Ages 1923 Buster Keaton intro”

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The second

Three Ages

movie clip shows the well known “Bathtub

Scene”

and the fight at the “Fake Cave House”

This clip is 3 minutes

Available on YouTube at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0UkqnqMZb0

Or search for “Three Ages 1923 Buster Keaton bathtub rock house”

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The Fake Cave House

in 1923 “Three Ages”

The Fake Cave House

is a common thread. It

was built perhaps pre-

1920, and can be seen

in the other movies in

this presentation.

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Man-Woman-

Marriage

was filmed in 1920 and released in

1921. It had been lost, and had not

been seen since it was originally

released.

One copy survived at the EYE film

institute in Amsterdam, and was

recently shared on YouTube.

75% of the silent feature films

produced in the U.S. have been lost.

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Lobby card for

“Man-Woman-Marriage”

(Jerry England

Collection)

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The Fake Cave House in “Man-Woman Marriage

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“Man-Woman Marriage

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“Man-Woman Marriage

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Behind the

scenes

photo from

Man-

Woman-

Marriage

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Behind the

scenes

photo from

Man-

Woman-

Marriage

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The Fake Cave House in “Man-Woman Marriage”

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Next, 10 minutes of Chatsworth Scenes from

“Man-Woman-Marriage” 1921

Source: The EYE Film Institute, Netherlands.

Title cards have been translated from Dutch to English

The entire film is 1hr, 28 minutes long. Scenes filmed in Chatsworth are 10 minutes long.

Filming locations were the Garden of the Gods at Iverson Ranch, and the Chatsworth

Reservoir.

Chatsworth Scenes are available on YouTube at

https://youtu.be/Xoc4F09It00

Or search for “Man-Woman-Marriage, 1921 Silent film, Chatsworth Scenes”

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Richard the

Lion-Hearted

is a 1923 sequel to Robin Hood

(1922; starring Douglas

Fairbanks), with Wallace Beery

returning as Richard the Lion-

Hearted.

With its survival status classified

as unknown, it is considered to

be a lost film.

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Fake castle

front, built for

"Richard the

Lion-Hearted"

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Fake castle

front, built for

"Richard the

Lion-Hearted"

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Notice the

distinctive group

of small rocks

highlighted here

in 2015, on the

ground below

“Tower Rock"

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This is that same

group of rocks

more than 90

years earlier, in

the "Richard the

Lion-Hearted"

photo.

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Tell it to the

Marines

is a 1926 silent movie starring Lon

Chaney as a gruff Marine sergeant.

The climactic Chinese Bridge Scene was

filmed at Garden of the Gods.

This film is available in DVD format.

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"Tell It to the

Marines"

(MGM, 1926)

The Chinese

bridge

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"Tell It to the

Marines"

(MGM, 1926)

The Chinese

bridge

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"Tell It to the

Marines"

(MGM, 1926)

The Chinese

bridge

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"Tell It to the

Marines“

Bridge spanning a

deep gorge

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"Tell It to the

Marines“

Bridge spanning a

deep gorge

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"Tell It to the

Marines“

Bridge spanning a

deep gorge

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"Tell It to the

Marines“

Bridge spanning a

deep gorge

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Behind the

scenes

photo

production

shot shows

that it is not

a deep

gorge

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Single anchor point for the two south struts of Chinese Bridge,

identified as “Anchor Point G” in photo to the right.

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And yes, the

Fake Cave

House used

in “Three

Ages” is in

the Chinese

Bridge Scene

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And now to see how it all turned out!

Following is a 4 minute edited version of the

Chinese Bridge Scene from 1926,

Tell it to the Marines

Available on YouTube at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zohROPDySw&t=1s

Or search for “1926 Tell it to the Marines bridge scenes”

Chatsworth Historical Society - Iverson Ranch Silent Movie Sets

And now to see how it all turned out!

Following is a 4 minute edited version

of the

Chinese Bridge Scene

from 1926,

Tell it to the Marines

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In closing, filming continues at Iverson Ranch.

The following 30 second commercial was filmed on

August 15th, 2015,

at the Garden of the Gods at Overlook Point

Available on YouTube at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3i9aowDml0

Or search for “2015-08-15 James Franco Scion Garden of the Gods clipped”

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Sources/Acknowledgements

Log on to iversonmovieranch.blogspot.com, and join the mailing list. You will discover a

detailed discussion of filming done at the Iverson Ranch.

This presentation focuses on a small portion of the website, the magnificent and unusual

set productions that were created in the silent movie era.

Contributed content by Iverson Historian Ben Burtt

Prepared by Dennis Liff, Chatsworth Historical Society, November 2015, revised May 2017