MILEPOSTS #1019
By Ken Brafman, Image from the ROWHS Collection
TITLE: MORE STARS THAN THERE ARE IN HEAVEN – PART TWO: This week’s image is of a 1927 movie set that once sat on Huston Flat Road (now Lake Drive) in Crestline. This photo is taken from Russ Keller’s book Mountain Mileposts – Crestline Edition. Communities such as Crestline, as well as locations spanning the San Bernardino Mountain range, grew popular with studios that were weary of the bad weather they often endured back east. The earliest films made here were generally ‘two-reelers’ that were easier and cheaper to make, and they would often be used to ‘pad out’ a movie presentation. Most of these short films were either comedies or westerns and began production circa 1910. Over the next couple decades many familiar silent films would be produced here, including important films such as The Last of the Mohicans (1920). Credited as the first talkie, Sunrise (1927) had much of its principal filming take place at Lake Arrowhead. In decades to come movie production was expanded, taking place in many smaller venues such as Cedar Lake. But places like Lake Arrowhead were the darling of the film industry. The Golden Age of Hollywood took root here, and with the movies came the movie stars.
To many, first and foremost would be Shirley Temple. Arguably her best-known and most popular film made here would be Heidi. June Lockhart is probably best known for her role in the television series Lassie. However, she also had film roles such as in the classic The Yearling with Gregory Peck, filmed in Lake Arrowhead. Roy Rogers made several films in the Big Bear area including the classic Don’t Fence Me In. He and his wife Dale Evans fell in love with the mountain ambience and purchased a home there. In fact, stars like Shirley Temple and June Lockhart, along with scores of other stars, also decided to make our mountains their own.
Next week we will explore some of the names and places associated with Hollywood’s ‘playground in the pines.’