Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
GWTWTOO, Sun Aug 09 2009, 05:09PM
As I mentioned in another post, I know that the shantytown sequence in GWTW was filmed in BB. The producer, David O. Selznick, chose this area because the trees resembled the pine trees found in Georgia. He had also filmed "Tom Sawyer" in this area-around Cedar Lake, I believe.
Years ago, before his death, I contacted Lee Cozad and spoke to him and he said he was never able to locate the exact spots that were used for this sequence.
The ironic thing is that when I was really young in the 1960's, I ran across an article *somewhere* where the writer mentioned he had been hiking, found a stream and remains of a set. He claimed it seemed familiar to him and then he placed it--the shantytown scene from GWTW. Unfortunately, I was just a kid then and didn't keep it or remember much else.
I am about at the point where I think the only way I will discover the location is to go to Texas and get into his files, since I believe he *must* have mentioned the desired location at some point, since he had a passion for writing memos. The book "Memo from David O. Selznick" doesn't contain all the memos from GWTW, so it's not in that book.
The other day when I went to the Grizzly and looked at old copies of their newspapers, they did not have anything from 1939. I had hoped something might have appeared in the local papers, especially considering the fact that GWTW was a hugely anticipated film then.
Can anyone help? Thanks!
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
bills grandson, Mon Aug 10 2009, 08:32AM
I had never heard about any gone with the wind but if you have pictures maybe I or someone else can place them. There were movies made up here since movies were made many of them quite good.
my favorites because they have great background would be trail of the lonesome pine, shepard of the hills, and the werewolf.
there were lots of cliffhangers shot here.
More recent ones were parent trap, night of the grizzly a bit of paint your wagon.
the andy griffith movies were a lot of fun too as well as all the weekly shows
I think between the Forest Service and the cities film commison they have really hurt the filnaking between fees and restrictons the valley has lost some of it's best advertising as well as the lodging and food the crews spent money on
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
, Mon Aug 10 2009, 08:35AM
GWT, go and see Tim and Kim Sweat at the Museum and Historical Society. They have loads of info on BB history, especially Cedar Lake and Hollywood filmings.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
Socalman, Mon Aug 10 2009, 10:23AM
It is actually very short sighted of the cities to have all the fees and restrictions on filming. The huge amount of revenue that comes into an area when a film crew is around is good for the economy.
At one time the high school I taught at (Monrovia) was being used as often as 4 times a year for shoots. The company paid a decent sum to the school district for use of the school. Unfortunately a principal that took over in the laate 80's thought it was a distraction to students and refused to allow the campus to be used. Funny thing was, the kids would simply notice that wagons were around and they are shooting again. It was no big deal. We had to say good-bye to good, easy money.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
bills grandson, Mon Aug 10 2009, 10:30AM
California is losing the industry it created. There is no shortage of states or countries that know a good thing when they see it.
When I see a beautivul place in a movie I watch the credits to see where it is.
I noted on many of the new shows coming out all the actors and crews are seeming to have forign sounding names now.
just more jobs exported out of the country
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
franksvalli, Tue Mar 07 2017, 05:25PM
I've been super curious about tracking down this location. Some time ago I got a book "The Making of Gone With the Wind" produced by TCM, with a forward by Robert Osborne (RIP). It has some good info about the shantytown sequence.
Here's a choppy video of the sequence: [Click Here]
I've attached the still photos from the book which have this info about the sets:
Set #44 Ext. Shanty Town
Set #45 Big Bear Ext. Stream Near Hobo Camp (pic number 108)
(EDIT: doh, photo attachments didn't seem to work - here's a link to the photos uploaded elsewhere: [Click Here])
My guess is that the location is down the road leading down to the right: [Click Here]
The accompanying text which may give clues to the location (seems not too far away from the main road). From the previous post, it seems likely that the creek in the scene is Metcalf Creek.
Here's the text from the book about the making of this scene:
On the same day Fleming was shooting Bonnie's riding scene, B. Reeves "Breezy" Eason, one of Hollywood's most dependable second-unit directors, began filming the Shanty Town scene at Big Bear Lake in Southern California.
Work had begun before dawn, when five large trucks carrying construction equipment, set dressings, props, wardrobe, lights, and generators left the studio for the Big Bear Lake location. The crew included carpenters, set dressers, painters, landscapers, and a first aid technician. A large amount of red brick dust was hauled there to simulate the red dirt of Georgia. The film's historical advisor, Wilbur Kurtz, traveled by car to observe the construction of the camp, and production designer William Cameron Menzies arrived later to supervise. A third car arrived at noon with Aline Goodwin, Scarlet''s double, Lydia Schiller, the script supervisor, and other support staff.
The next morning, one of the generators broke down due to the altitude, and Eason was forced to film that day without sound. The generator was repaired overnight so they were able to shoot with sound the next day.
After lunch, they began filming the scene in which Scarlett is attacked. The scene had undergone considerable revision in an effort to avoid trouble with the Hays Office, which had cautioned Selznick to avoid any suggestion of rape in this scene, and to fulfill Selznick's promise not to make an "anti-Negro film". Though the novel featured an African American man attacking Scarlett, Selznick cast the attacker as a white man. Upon acquiring the rights to Gone With The Wind, this was one of the first changes Selznick made to the story, mindful of concerns about the depiction of African American characters in the film.
Big Sam's fight scene with Scarlett's attacker was shot on Thursday, June 15. Fay Helm took over as Scarlett's double. Aside from the occasional car horn or spectator wandering into the frame, filming proceeded quickly and efficiently for the next two days, with only two or three takes made for each camera angle. The scene was substantially finished on June 16, though some of the crew stayed the next day to film "moving process plates" at various speeds (easy trot, gallop, runaway) that would be used as backgrounds for Vivien Leigh's close-ups. These close-ups, as well as the close-ups of Yakima Canutt as the "Degenerate White," Blue Washington as the "Degenerate Black," and Everett Brown as Big Sam, were filmed by Victor Fleming two weeks later on July 1.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
bills grandson, Tue Mar 07 2017, 05:39PM
thanks for clearing that up. I'll try to watch the movie to see if I can catch anything but these don't help me much. The bridge may be a good clue but it will be sometime before I can check it out.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
BootsNBridles, Tue Mar 07 2017, 09:16PM
At first I thought perhaps Holcomb which was pretty popular with filmmakers those days. BUT out by Camp Oakes there's a creek and the remains of an old bridge that has been built over. I wonder if it could've been there? But it would have been way out in the boonies at that time...
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
bills grandson, Tue Mar 07 2017, 10:15PM
The meadow has a lot of skunk cabbage in it my guess would be somewhere around mill creek road.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
Backcountry boy, Mon Sep 24 2018, 02:25PM
I found the location for the bridge. It is still there. It has been extensively altered over the years, but it is still recognizable. It's located a short distance up 2N10 above Cedar Lake. It's actually visible from the road, but you have to go slow or you'll miss it.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
Mtngoat John⭐, Wed Sep 26 2018, 05:45PM
Huh, never knew. I've ridden over that bridge a few thousand times. Made it most times.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
Hooky Bobber, Wed Feb 20 2019, 10:10AM
That area was a Jewish kids camp in the late 60s. All the buildings are gone now. That bridge has a lease cabin at the end of the road.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
GWTWTOO, Tue Jul 02 2019, 12:15PM
Wow! Thank you so much for this; I am excited to go look for the site. It's been so many years since I have been on here and posted. Can anyone be a little more specific with the spot? Is 2N10 an actual road or trail? How would I access that driving from BB Lake? Thanks so much!
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
BootsNBridles, Tue Jul 02 2019, 03:34PM
Forest service roads, most or all dirt, are designated with numbers and letters. So 2N10 is a forest service road. Actually a fairly well maintained one. Go to maps.google.com and type in Cedar lake, OR 2N10. Take Tulip Ln or Mill Creek Rd to the south from Big Bear Blvd. Watch for Mill Creek turning to the south. Oak Knoll Lodge is at the turn. There're also street signs. It's paved for a little bit. About a mile or so up there'll be a 'turn' to continue on Mill Creek. If you don't turn you'll end up at Cedar Lake.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
Mtngoat John⭐, Tue Jul 02 2019, 04:07PM
As far as the bridge goes, this should be specific enough.
[Click Here]
It is paved to nearly the bridge location. Cars can access the area, no problem. The above map should help on directions from your location.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
Jilly, Tue Jul 02 2019, 08:53PM
We know that location well but never knew it was that GWTW location. The bridge currently is access to a forestry lease cabin with a beautiful meadow above it.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
GWTWTOO, Mon Jul 08 2019, 10:06PM
Thanks so much to everyone. I am SO happy to have visited the site and gotten lots of photos!
GWTWTOO, Sun Aug 09 2009, 05:09PM
As I mentioned in another post, I know that the shantytown sequence in GWTW was filmed in BB. The producer, David O. Selznick, chose this area because the trees resembled the pine trees found in Georgia. He had also filmed "Tom Sawyer" in this area-around Cedar Lake, I believe.
Years ago, before his death, I contacted Lee Cozad and spoke to him and he said he was never able to locate the exact spots that were used for this sequence.
The ironic thing is that when I was really young in the 1960's, I ran across an article *somewhere* where the writer mentioned he had been hiking, found a stream and remains of a set. He claimed it seemed familiar to him and then he placed it--the shantytown scene from GWTW. Unfortunately, I was just a kid then and didn't keep it or remember much else.
I am about at the point where I think the only way I will discover the location is to go to Texas and get into his files, since I believe he *must* have mentioned the desired location at some point, since he had a passion for writing memos. The book "Memo from David O. Selznick" doesn't contain all the memos from GWTW, so it's not in that book.
The other day when I went to the Grizzly and looked at old copies of their newspapers, they did not have anything from 1939. I had hoped something might have appeared in the local papers, especially considering the fact that GWTW was a hugely anticipated film then.
Can anyone help? Thanks!
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
bills grandson, Mon Aug 10 2009, 08:32AM
I had never heard about any gone with the wind but if you have pictures maybe I or someone else can place them. There were movies made up here since movies were made many of them quite good.
my favorites because they have great background would be trail of the lonesome pine, shepard of the hills, and the werewolf.
there were lots of cliffhangers shot here.
More recent ones were parent trap, night of the grizzly a bit of paint your wagon.
the andy griffith movies were a lot of fun too as well as all the weekly shows
I think between the Forest Service and the cities film commison they have really hurt the filnaking between fees and restrictons the valley has lost some of it's best advertising as well as the lodging and food the crews spent money on
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
, Mon Aug 10 2009, 08:35AM
GWT, go and see Tim and Kim Sweat at the Museum and Historical Society. They have loads of info on BB history, especially Cedar Lake and Hollywood filmings.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
Socalman, Mon Aug 10 2009, 10:23AM
bills grandson wrote ...
I had never heard about any gone with the wind but if you have pictures maybe I or someone else can place them. There were movies made up here since movies were made many of them quite good.
my favorites because they have great background would be trail of the lonesome pine, shepard of the hills, and the werewolf.
there were lots of cliffhangers shot here.
More recent ones were parent trap, night of the grizzly a bit of paint your wagon.
the andy griffith movies were a lot of fun too as well as all the weekly shows
I think between the Forest Service and the cities film commison they have really hurt the filnaking between fees and restrictons the valley has lost some of it's best advertising as well as the lodging and food the crews spent money on
I had never heard about any gone with the wind but if you have pictures maybe I or someone else can place them. There were movies made up here since movies were made many of them quite good.
my favorites because they have great background would be trail of the lonesome pine, shepard of the hills, and the werewolf.
there were lots of cliffhangers shot here.
More recent ones were parent trap, night of the grizzly a bit of paint your wagon.
the andy griffith movies were a lot of fun too as well as all the weekly shows
I think between the Forest Service and the cities film commison they have really hurt the filnaking between fees and restrictons the valley has lost some of it's best advertising as well as the lodging and food the crews spent money on
It is actually very short sighted of the cities to have all the fees and restrictions on filming. The huge amount of revenue that comes into an area when a film crew is around is good for the economy.
At one time the high school I taught at (Monrovia) was being used as often as 4 times a year for shoots. The company paid a decent sum to the school district for use of the school. Unfortunately a principal that took over in the laate 80's thought it was a distraction to students and refused to allow the campus to be used. Funny thing was, the kids would simply notice that wagons were around and they are shooting again. It was no big deal. We had to say good-bye to good, easy money.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
bills grandson, Mon Aug 10 2009, 10:30AM
California is losing the industry it created. There is no shortage of states or countries that know a good thing when they see it.
When I see a beautivul place in a movie I watch the credits to see where it is.
I noted on many of the new shows coming out all the actors and crews are seeming to have forign sounding names now.
just more jobs exported out of the country
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
franksvalli, Tue Mar 07 2017, 05:25PM
I've been super curious about tracking down this location. Some time ago I got a book "The Making of Gone With the Wind" produced by TCM, with a forward by Robert Osborne (RIP). It has some good info about the shantytown sequence.
Here's a choppy video of the sequence: [Click Here]
I've attached the still photos from the book which have this info about the sets:
Set #44 Ext. Shanty Town
Set #45 Big Bear Ext. Stream Near Hobo Camp (pic number 108)
(EDIT: doh, photo attachments didn't seem to work - here's a link to the photos uploaded elsewhere: [Click Here])
My guess is that the location is down the road leading down to the right: [Click Here]
The accompanying text which may give clues to the location (seems not too far away from the main road). From the previous post, it seems likely that the creek in the scene is Metcalf Creek.
Here's the text from the book about the making of this scene:
On the same day Fleming was shooting Bonnie's riding scene, B. Reeves "Breezy" Eason, one of Hollywood's most dependable second-unit directors, began filming the Shanty Town scene at Big Bear Lake in Southern California.
Work had begun before dawn, when five large trucks carrying construction equipment, set dressings, props, wardrobe, lights, and generators left the studio for the Big Bear Lake location. The crew included carpenters, set dressers, painters, landscapers, and a first aid technician. A large amount of red brick dust was hauled there to simulate the red dirt of Georgia. The film's historical advisor, Wilbur Kurtz, traveled by car to observe the construction of the camp, and production designer William Cameron Menzies arrived later to supervise. A third car arrived at noon with Aline Goodwin, Scarlet''s double, Lydia Schiller, the script supervisor, and other support staff.
The next morning, one of the generators broke down due to the altitude, and Eason was forced to film that day without sound. The generator was repaired overnight so they were able to shoot with sound the next day.
After lunch, they began filming the scene in which Scarlett is attacked. The scene had undergone considerable revision in an effort to avoid trouble with the Hays Office, which had cautioned Selznick to avoid any suggestion of rape in this scene, and to fulfill Selznick's promise not to make an "anti-Negro film". Though the novel featured an African American man attacking Scarlett, Selznick cast the attacker as a white man. Upon acquiring the rights to Gone With The Wind, this was one of the first changes Selznick made to the story, mindful of concerns about the depiction of African American characters in the film.
Big Sam's fight scene with Scarlett's attacker was shot on Thursday, June 15. Fay Helm took over as Scarlett's double. Aside from the occasional car horn or spectator wandering into the frame, filming proceeded quickly and efficiently for the next two days, with only two or three takes made for each camera angle. The scene was substantially finished on June 16, though some of the crew stayed the next day to film "moving process plates" at various speeds (easy trot, gallop, runaway) that would be used as backgrounds for Vivien Leigh's close-ups. These close-ups, as well as the close-ups of Yakima Canutt as the "Degenerate White," Blue Washington as the "Degenerate Black," and Everett Brown as Big Sam, were filmed by Victor Fleming two weeks later on July 1.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
bills grandson, Tue Mar 07 2017, 05:39PM
thanks for clearing that up. I'll try to watch the movie to see if I can catch anything but these don't help me much. The bridge may be a good clue but it will be sometime before I can check it out.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
BootsNBridles, Tue Mar 07 2017, 09:16PM
At first I thought perhaps Holcomb which was pretty popular with filmmakers those days. BUT out by Camp Oakes there's a creek and the remains of an old bridge that has been built over. I wonder if it could've been there? But it would have been way out in the boonies at that time...
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
bills grandson, Tue Mar 07 2017, 10:15PM
The meadow has a lot of skunk cabbage in it my guess would be somewhere around mill creek road.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
Backcountry boy, Mon Sep 24 2018, 02:25PM
I found the location for the bridge. It is still there. It has been extensively altered over the years, but it is still recognizable. It's located a short distance up 2N10 above Cedar Lake. It's actually visible from the road, but you have to go slow or you'll miss it.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
Mtngoat John⭐, Wed Sep 26 2018, 05:45PM
Huh, never knew. I've ridden over that bridge a few thousand times. Made it most times.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
Hooky Bobber, Wed Feb 20 2019, 10:10AM
That area was a Jewish kids camp in the late 60s. All the buildings are gone now. That bridge has a lease cabin at the end of the road.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
GWTWTOO, Tue Jul 02 2019, 12:15PM
Wow! Thank you so much for this; I am excited to go look for the site. It's been so many years since I have been on here and posted. Can anyone be a little more specific with the spot? Is 2N10 an actual road or trail? How would I access that driving from BB Lake? Thanks so much!
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
BootsNBridles, Tue Jul 02 2019, 03:34PM
GWTWTOO wrote ...
Wow! Thank you so much for this; I am excited to go look for the site. It's been so many years since I have been on here and posted. Can anyone be a little more specific with the spot? Is 2N10 an actual road or trail? How would I access that driving from BB Lake? Thanks so much!
Wow! Thank you so much for this; I am excited to go look for the site. It's been so many years since I have been on here and posted. Can anyone be a little more specific with the spot? Is 2N10 an actual road or trail? How would I access that driving from BB Lake? Thanks so much!
Forest service roads, most or all dirt, are designated with numbers and letters. So 2N10 is a forest service road. Actually a fairly well maintained one. Go to maps.google.com and type in Cedar lake, OR 2N10. Take Tulip Ln or Mill Creek Rd to the south from Big Bear Blvd. Watch for Mill Creek turning to the south. Oak Knoll Lodge is at the turn. There're also street signs. It's paved for a little bit. About a mile or so up there'll be a 'turn' to continue on Mill Creek. If you don't turn you'll end up at Cedar Lake.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
Mtngoat John⭐, Tue Jul 02 2019, 04:07PM
GWTWTOO wrote ...
Can anyone be a little more specific with the spot? Is 2N10 an actual road or trail? How would I access that driving from BB Lake?
Can anyone be a little more specific with the spot? Is 2N10 an actual road or trail? How would I access that driving from BB Lake?
As far as the bridge goes, this should be specific enough.
[Click Here]
It is paved to nearly the bridge location. Cars can access the area, no problem. The above map should help on directions from your location.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
Jilly, Tue Jul 02 2019, 08:53PM
We know that location well but never knew it was that GWTW location. The bridge currently is access to a forestry lease cabin with a beautiful meadow above it.
Re: Scenes from "Gone With the Wind" filmed in BB
GWTWTOO, Mon Jul 08 2019, 10:06PM
Thanks so much to everyone. I am SO happy to have visited the site and gotten lots of photos!
