Spahn Movie Ranch

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Coordinates: 34 ° 16'22 "  N , 118 ° 37'22.8"  W.

Former outdoor area of ​​Spahn Ranch, now part of Santa Susana Pass State Historical Park, photo from 2009

The Spahn Movie Ranch was a ranch in Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley that served as a location for western films and series for several decades. It is named after its last owner, George Spahn (1889–1974). From 1967 to 1969 it was also the residence of the Manson Family .

Movie ranch

The ranch was now owned by William S. Hart (1864-1946), a well-known actor and director from the silent film era. He used it to store his horses and also as a location for films. She stayed in the latter even decades after his death, among the well-known films that she used as a shooting location include Outlaw (1943) by Howard Hughes and Duell in the Sun (1946) with Gregory Peck . Later episodes of the western series Bonanza and The Lone Ranger were filmed here.

The prominent Hollywood doctor Dr. Sharon M. Atkins acquired the ranch in 1928 and also used it to house her horses, which allegedly included the famous film horse Silver King by the late Hollywood actor Fred Thomson (1890–1928). Atkins sold the ranch in 1947 to Lee and Ruth McReynolds, who built a small western town on it as a film set.

George Spahn bought the ranch in 1953, at that time it covered around 22.25 hectares and the film set consisted not only of ranch buildings, but a complete small western town with typical buildings such as a saloon , barbershop and prison. Spahn continued to rent the ranch as a film set and also offered riding excursions. After Spahn went bankrupt in 1966, the ranch fell into disrepair. 

Manson Family

The first members of the Manson Family began living on the farm in the spring of 1968, the buildings of which were already in a rather shabby state. At that time, in addition to the almost 80-year-old and largely blind Spahn, who himself lived on the ranch, there were usually only two other people present during the day, Ruby Pearl, who acted as the ranch manager and Shorty Shea, who worked as the ranch hand and later was murdered by the Manson Family.

After Charles Manson, who lived with parts of his family in a house belonging to Beach Boys member Dennis Wilson , was thrown out by the latter, he and the entire Manson Family now settled on the ranch and lived in the unused buildings that were previously known as Had served as a film set. This was done with the consent of Spahn, for whom they carried out work on the ranch in return, in particular they took care of the care of his horses and the implementation of riding excursions for tourists. Some of the female members of the Manson Family also took care of Spahn's personal household, cooking and cleaning for him. Lynette “Squeky” Fromme in particular , who Spahn reminded of her grandfather, spent a lot of time with him.

After Charles Manson and four other members were arrested in 1969 for the murder of Sharon Tate , most of his family members left the ranch. However, some of the women stayed on the ranch in 1970 and continued to care for Spahn.

fire

In September 1970 the ranch was destroyed by a bush fire. Later owners renamed the property Country Oaks Estate and built a care center for the elderly and an event space for animal demonstrations. Some of the ranch's outskirts are now part of the Santa Susana Pass State Historical Park.

literature

  • Kristan Lawson, Anneli Rufus: California Babylon: A Guide to Site of Scandal, Mayhem and Celluloid in the Golden State . St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2013, ISBN 9781466854147 , chapter Spahn Ranch

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3367 (accessed May 25, 2020)
  2. ↑ Alexia Fernandez: Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood: All About the Creepy Ranch the Manson Family Lived In . People.com, July 30, 2019
  3. ↑ a b c Gay Talese: Charlie Manson's Home on the Range . Esquire, March 1, 1970
  4. ^ A b Lesley Kennedy: How Spahn Ranch Became a Headquarters for the Manson Family Cult . History.com, August 8, 2019
  5. ^ A b Hadley Hall Meares: The Story of the Abandoned Movie Ranch Where the Manson Family Launched Helter Skelter . Curbed, October 22, 2014 ( additional online copy )
  6. ↑ Ann Vincent: CHATSWORTH PAST & PRESENT . Chatsworth Historical Society, November 2008
  7. ↑ Talese states that Spahn acquired the ranch in 1948, but most other sources such as B. Vincent, Meares or Hilburn give 1953
  8. ↑ EJ Dickson: 18 Details 'Once Upon a Time In Hollywood' Got Right About the Manson Murders . Rolling Stone August 7, 2019
  9. ↑ Tina Rausch: Cowboys and Ghosts . South German, July 30, 2012
  10. ↑ a b Jair Hillburn: Manson Family Shelter Found On Spahn Ranch . Oxygen.com, July 25, 2019
  11. ↑ Virgina Leaper: POPULATION: 1 Old Rancher and The Manson Family . Los Angeles Times, July 30, 2000
  12. ↑ Douglas Robinson: A Few Members of Manson's 'Family' Still Stay at Movie Ranch, Awaiting His Return . New York Times, July 5, 1970
  13. ↑ Kristan Lawson, Anneli Rufus: California Babylon: A Guide to Site of Scandal, Mayhem and Celluloid in the Golden State . St. Martin's Publishing Group, 2013, ISBN 9781466854147 , chapter Spahn Ranch