Bishop, California: No, we are not in Alabama. The Alabama Hills are a famous set of incredibly diverse and oddly shaped rock formations outside of Lone Pine that can magically transform themselves into a wild west cowboy scene, an Arabian desert, or a varied amount of "foreign" lands - just a few hours from Hollywood studios. Hundreds of movies were filmed in this area. We have been here before, but today was the first time we have visited the Western Film Museum.
But first, food. DT wanted to try the famed Alabama Hills Cafe. I obliged, and we thought we were rock stars by getting a parking spot right next to the cafe.
So, just sayin', if you saw this facade, wouldn't you possibly think this was the Alabama Hills Cafe? Nope. It's down the street, around the corner. We did find the place, only had to wait five minutes for a table and decided to split a Mexican-inspired omelet, which I forgot to photograph. We were seated with a young Belgian couple (so they were interested we had been to their country in March) and she was sporting a shiny rock on her left hand - her boyfriend had proposed last week at the Grand Canyon!
After our filling meal, we drove to the Museum of Western Film History. A fascinating way to spend an hour or so learning about Hollywood's use of the nearby Alabama Hills as film sets.
The museum displays begin with silent movies, and “foreign film” (that were not filmed in foreign locations at all): Gunga Din, with Cary Grant and Douglas Fairbanks, Bagdad, with Maureen O’Hara and Vincent Price, Cecil B. DeMille’s epic Samson & Dalila, starring (famed scientist) Hedy Lamar, Victoria Mature and Angela Lansbury and Kim, written by Rudyard Kipling, starring Errol Flynn.
This Plymouth Coupe (1937) was featured in the Humphrey Bogart film High Sierra, where Bogart played "Mad Dog" Roy Earle. The film was the breakthrough performance in Bogart's career. His co-star, Ida Lupino, had measles during filming!
There are nods to other big films which You Can See Without Glasses in CinemaScope: Tycoon, How the West was Won, The Oregon Trail, and North to Alaska with John Wayne were filmed in Lone Pine. Not to mention, Charge of the Light Brigade starring Olivia DeHavilland and Errol Flynn. There is also a good homage to Gene Autry - The Singing Cowboy.
The largest Western film tribute in the museum is concerning Hopalong Cassidy. (Called Hopalong due to a previous bullet wound causing a limp.) The first film was Hopalong Cassidy Enters, 1935, with William Boyd playing Hopalong for 66 more films. 31 filmed in the Alabama Hills. Clarence E. Milford wrote the books/screenplays and Boyd must have made a fortune as it seems every little boy needed a Hopalong lunch pail, field glasses, flashlight, canasta set, and a wide assortment of other toys. Boyd may have been an early influencer? If your mom could pick up a certain brand of bread at the grocery, there was a Hopalong trading card inside!
The Lone Ranger started in 1935 as a radio series and nearly 3000 episodes later, it became a TV series from 1949-1957. A rock formation in the Alabama Hills, called Lone Ranger Canyon is featured in the first episode. Six Ranger rode into a canyon, five were killed in an ambush, and the surviving (Lone) Ranger was saved by Tonto - and the rest is history.
The museum also covers more modern times - Iron Man, 2008, with Robert Downey Jr., and Tremors, 1990, with Kevin Bacon. Many of the GI Joe movies were also shot near Lone Pine, and several scenes from Star Wars series.
After our tour through the museum, we drove out to the Alabama Hills and tried to capture a few "famed/tourist" shots of the mountains. DT, after hiking out to the famed arch-shot, was not comfortable "bouldering" up to the perfect view area... so the guy parked next to us took Dave's camera. Missed the shot by two inches.
Though Mt. Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States, with an elevation of 14,505 feet, it is very-much disguised from the Lone Pine view, as it is set-back from the vista. But once you figure-out the location, it is easy to find the peak no matter where you are in the Owens Valley under the Sierra Nevada.
Then we made a big mistake. Driving the loop road from Lone Pine to Moffat Ranch Road was easy in our tow car all those years ago. Driving the same road in our very fat Mercedes Sprinter van was a wholenother story. Serious groaning occurred - from our rig, and from our Driver-plus-Passenger seat. Ugh. Goodness, it was the longest five miles ever. EVER. Lesson learned.
We are now camped in Bishop. Great campground, but it is still over 100 degrees. Watching Mexico win over Korea in the World Cup. Served that fabulous cold Soba noodle salad with peanut dressing and vegetables. Relaxing. Have more (less strenuous) adventures planned tomorrow - we will be here two nights.
Also, the 4L's flew off the Italy tonight. I will update if/when any of the 4L's send us pix.
Until my next update, I remain, your spine-adjusted correspondent.
Campground Information: The Highlands RV Park
Hi Terry, I met you in Las Vegas in 2024 at the Oasis RV Park. Glad to hear you are traveling up the Eastern Sierra, Make sure you drive the June Lake Loop, beautiful lakes and waterfall. We are at Silver Lake “Resort “ for a couple weeks. They have a great cafe for breakfast and lunch!
Happy travels, love following your travels!
My sister lives in Bishop, so we have been through Lone Pine many times. The next time we will have to visit the museum. But I will always think “Hedley” when I see Hedy Lamar.
Ha! That is a great one! There is also a tribute to Randolph Scott in the museum – guess you do need to go! I just love that “Hedley” was a fantastic mathematician and scientist. Brains and beauty!
Really enjoyed this post. Just a note…it wasn’t only boys who idolized Hopalong Cassidy. I had a Hopalong Cassidy gun and holster set with rubies! It was a prized possession. I remember my Mother being so upset with me for banging a rock on my paper rolls of caps on the sidewalk to set them off instead of using the cap gun!