COLUMBIA RANCH

The first film to use the ranch appears to have been Party Wire in 1935.

In April 1965, a $375,000 sound stage was erected at the ranch.

Over the years, acreage was sold off until by 1971 there were only 38 acres remaining of the 80.

On June 3, 1971, Columbia Pictures moved their Hollywood production into the Warner Bros. Burbank lot.

The combined Warner Bros. and Columbia Pictures, known as The Burbank Studios, announced in May 1973 that they would not sell the 38 acre ranch which had been on the market since 1971.

In 1974, six acres were sold for a shopping center.

The remaining 32 acres is still in existance and is owned by Warner Bros.

Once the site of a complete Western Town with two streets, a jungle area, a Colonial/French town, a large New York street area, and a small town area with park, the ranch now only has the small town with park and a few high rise buildings.

	This shot and the next two show portions of the elaborate New York Street sets.

Here is a shot of the north side of the residential street (the "Father Knows Best" and "Dennis the Menace" side) and the short run of brownstones.
 

Here are a couple of shots of a Far East set.

Here are a couple of stills of the western street. The first one is looking south, while the second one is looking north.

Here is a series of shots of the western streets in action:

The following photographs were taken by Stephen Lodge and used by his permission.

The western street (and following 4 pictures). The western street after the 1970 fire. The New York Street and park.

DIRECTIONS: From Los Angeles, take the 5 freeway north to the 134 west. Exit at Hollywood Way. The exit will put you at Alameda Avenue. Turn left there then turn right at Hollywood Way. At the intersection of Hollywood Way and Oak Street, you will see the entrance to the ranch on the northwest corner. Do not enter. It is private property. Turn left at Oak Street. The first part of the ranch you pass is where the residential street is. About halfway down the block is where the French Village is. The final third of the block is where the western streets were. Most of the center and right side of the ranch is where the extensive New York Street sets were. Only a few brownstones still remain.

SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY:

"Party Wire" (Columbia 1935) Directed by: Erle C. Kenton. Cast: Jean Arthur, Victor Jory, Helen Lowell, Robert Allen, Charley Grapewin, Geneva Mitchell.

"Lost Horizon" (Columbia 1937) Directed by: Frank Capra. Cast: Ronald Coleman, Jane Wyatt, John Howard, Margo, Thomas Mitchell, Edward Everett Horton, Isabel Jewell, H.B. Warner, Sam Jaffe, Hugh Buckler, David Torrence, Willie Fung, Victor Wong, Noble Johnson.

"The Spider's Web" (Columbia 1938) Directed by: Ray Taylor and James W. Horne. Cast: Warren Hull, Iris Meredith, Richard Fiske, Kenneth Duncan, Forbes Murray, Donald Douglas, Marc Lawrence, Charles Wilson, Dick Curtis, John Tyrrell, Gene Adnerson Jr., Ann Doran, Paul Whitney, Beatrice Curtis, Gordon Hart, Byron Folger.

"The Son of Davy Crockett" (Columbia 1941) Directed by: Lambert Hillyer. Cast: Bill Elliott, Iris Meredith, Dub Taylor, Kenneth MacDonald, Richard Fiske, Eddy Waller, Don Curtis, Paul Scardon, Edmund Cobb, Steve Clark, Harrison Greene.

"Batman" (Columbia 1943) Directed by: Lambert Hillyer. Cast: Lewis Wilson, Douglas Croft, J. Carrol Naish, Shirley Patterson.

"The Phantom" (Columbia 1943) Directed by: B. Reeves Eason. Cast: Tom Tyler, Jeanne Bates.

"The Shadow" (Columbia 1944) Directed by: James W. Horne. Cast: Victor Jory, Veda Ann Borg, Roger Moore, Robert Fiske, J. Paul Jones, Jack Ingram, Charles Hamilton, Edward Peil Sr., Frank LaRue.

"Superman" (Columbia 1948) Directed by: Spencer Bennet and Thomas Carr. Cast: Kirk Alyn, Noel Neill, Tommy Bond, Carol Forman, George Meeker, Jack Ingram, Pierre Watkin, Terry Frost, Charles King, Charles Quigley, Herbert Rawlinson, Forrest Taylor, Stephan Carr, Rusty Wescoatt.

"Batman and Robin" (Columbia 1949) Directed by: Spencer Bennet. Cast: Robert Lowery, John Duncan, Jane Adams, Lyle Talbot, Ralph Graves, Don Harvey, William Fawcett, Leonard Penn, Rick Vallin, Michael Whalen, Greg McClure, House Peters Jr., Jim Diehl, Rusty Wescoatt.

"Atom Man vs. Superman" (Columbia 1950) Directed by: Spencer Bennet. Cast: Kirk Alyn, Noel Neill, Lyle Talbot, Tommy Bond, Pierre Watkin, Jack Ingram, Don Harvey, Rusty Wescoatt, Terry Frost, Wally West, Paul Strader, George Robotham.

"The Nevadan" (Columbia 1950) Directed by: Gordon Douglas. Cast: Randolph Scott, Dorothy Malone, Forrest Tucker, George MacReady, Jock Mahoney, Frank Faylen.

"High Noon" (United Artist 1952) Directed by: Fred Zinnemann. Cast: Gary Cooper, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges, Katy Jurado, Grace Kelly, Otto Kruger, Lon Chaney, Harry Morgan, Ian MacDonald.

"Fury at Gunsight Pass" (Columbia 1955) Directed by: Fred F. Sears. Cast: David Brian, Neville Brand, Richard Long, Lisa Davis, Percy Helton, Addison Richards, Wally Vernon, Katherine Warren, Morris Ankrum, Joe Forte, Paul E. Burns, Frank Fenton.

"The Bounty Killer" (Columbia 1965) Directed by: Spencer G. Bennet. Cast: Dan Duryea, Richard Arlen, Buster Crabbe, Fuzzy Knight, Johnny Mack Brown.