Museum of Western Film History, Lone Pine, California

It had been at least 25 years since I last visited the small eastern California town of Lone Pine, situated in the Owen’s Valley.  During the years I lived in California, Lone Pine was the closest town to some of my favorite wilderness backpacking destinations, like the Cottonwood Lakes, or Mount Whitney.  It was Lone Pine where I’d get my first meal after returning to civilization — usually a cheeseburger and fries with a milkshake (well worth the added layer of plaque to my coronary arteries).

Lone Pine remains a fairly sleepy small town, but there has been some growth over the years.  A few new restaurants and gas stations, but the most interesting newer place in town is the Museum of Western Film History, which opened in 2006.  I was not aware of its existence before making plans for my current visit.

(some of the murals painted on the museum’s exterior)

A photo from the interior of the museum (see below) was featured as last weekend’s One Clue Mystery photo.  Congratulations to George G, who recognized where we were at.

(One clue mystery photo, featuring Gene Autry as part of the Museum’s cowboy display)

For more than a century (since 1920), Lone Pine has been a popular destination for the filming of western and cowboy movies.  Most of the shooting is done in the nearby Alabama Hills, behind which stands the tallest section of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range.  (I plan to write a separate blog highlighting this beautiful outdoor scenery in the future).  At last count, more than 400 movies were filmed here, as were a thousand commercials and scores of television shows.

While the popularity of westerns has faded somewhat, the Museum of Western Film History provides extensive documentation of this era, with loads of movie posters, photos, memorabilia, and props. There’s a small theater as part of the complex (playing a nice introductory documentary to the topic upon request), and about 10,000 square feet of exhibits. These include old cinema cameras, movie projectors — even an old RKO vehicle used to capture the action.

(Original 1928 RKO filming truck is on display)

(Stagecoach used in many westerns filmed in Lone Pine)

(1937 Plymouth coupe used in filming Humphrey Bogart’s HIGH SIERRA)

The museum’s displays walk you from the early years of silent movies and early talking films…

…and you’re sure to recognize some of these western stars….

The Museum has an archive for those wishing to do research into the films and their impact on popular culture.  Of interest, every Columbus Day weekend the Lone Pine Film Festival is held in Lone Pine, featuring western films and those who made and starred in them.