Apacheland Movie Ranch
In 1957 Hollywood production companies began eyeing Arizona’s Superstition Mountains for potential location settings. Victor Panek and J.K. Hutchens, a pair of local ranchers turned entrepreneur, visualized building ‘The Western Movie Capital of the World’. Lofty thinkin’ fellas. The result, Apacheland Movie Ranch and Studio.
Apacheland opened for business in June 1960.
The first TV productions included episodes of Have Gun Will Travel, starring Richard Boone in the title role of a man called Paladin. One of the top rated TV westerns throughout its seven year run from ‘57 – ’63, the series portrayed a gentleman hired gun who roamed the west righting wrongs. The second production that year, a feature film The Purple Hills, played to far less critical acclaim and box office success.
Over the years Apacheland played host to western film actors including Ronald Regan, a number of Audie Murphy western films, Elvis Presley, Jason Robards, and Stella Stevens. Television saw Death Valley Days take the Apacheland stage along with a film you may recall from an earlier series on these pages, The Ballad of Cable Hogue.
Fire destroyed most of Apacheland ranch in ’69. Rebuilt, a second fire in February 2004 finished the job, closing out the film career of Superstition vistas in the fall of that year. Curiously the causes of both fires were never determined. Two of the buildings on the set, a barn (pictured) and a church known as the Elvis Chapel were preserved and donated to the Superstition Mountain Museum.
Next Week: Corriganville Movie Ranch
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Ride easy,
Paul
Apacheland opened for business in June 1960.
The first TV productions included episodes of Have Gun Will Travel, starring Richard Boone in the title role of a man called Paladin. One of the top rated TV westerns throughout its seven year run from ‘57 – ’63, the series portrayed a gentleman hired gun who roamed the west righting wrongs. The second production that year, a feature film The Purple Hills, played to far less critical acclaim and box office success.
Over the years Apacheland played host to western film actors including Ronald Regan, a number of Audie Murphy western films, Elvis Presley, Jason Robards, and Stella Stevens. Television saw Death Valley Days take the Apacheland stage along with a film you may recall from an earlier series on these pages, The Ballad of Cable Hogue.
Fire destroyed most of Apacheland ranch in ’69. Rebuilt, a second fire in February 2004 finished the job, closing out the film career of Superstition vistas in the fall of that year. Curiously the causes of both fires were never determined. Two of the buildings on the set, a barn (pictured) and a church known as the Elvis Chapel were preserved and donated to the Superstition Mountain Museum.
Next Week: Corriganville Movie Ranch
Return to Facebook to comment
Ride easy,
Paul
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