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Post by flossieskid on Mar 4, 2022 9:16:46 GMT -5
As many people have heard, realtors tell their clients there are only 3 things to look for when you are searching for a house: “Location, Location, Location.
So when I happened on a rerun of a Walton episode, called “A Christmas Carol” written by John McGreevey, I was amazed at the beautiful location featured on the show. The premise of the episode was there were 2 children who came over from England, during the Blitz, and their American sponsors, the Baldwin sisters, asked Olivia to take care of them for a few days over the Christmas holidays.
It was so funny, because I had just finished a text with John’s son, Mike, less than 3 hours before seeing this rerun. My question to the amazingly brilliant participants on the Forum: does anyone remember that scene where grandpa Walton took Elizabeth and the two children to a mountain top searching for a Christmas tree to cut down? I may have been out of the room when Zeb identified it, but I don’t remember there being a lake near Walton’s mountain. Maybe I’m wrong. The view was overlooking a really big lake and was truly breathtaking!
The only large lakes I have been to near Warner Brothers Studio, that filmed the series, and are among beautiful trees and mountains, are Big Bear Lake and Lake Arrowhead - both about a 90 mile drive (each way) from the studio. I asked Mike and he didn’t know and it was far too early for any CGI scenes to be created later in post production. There is, of course, the famous Lake Hollywood, nestled beneath the hills and homes where the famous “HOLLYWOOD “ sign is located. But, unless some movie magic turned those 9 letters into beautiful green mountains and trees - that one ain’t it!!
I can’t imagine they would schelp everyone up to either of those locations for a 30 second scene where grandpa was marveling at the incredible view. So here is my query: Does anyone know about that location? I haven’t seen every program, but I wonder if that very expensive location shot was used in any other Walton episode ?
I know this challenge will probably be super easy for “the research experts” like Easton, Brenda or PatriciaAnne. But, I would gratefully appreciate anyone’s input. Thanks!
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Post by wacokyd on Mar 4, 2022 12:54:52 GMT -5
I have heard that one location occasionally used in the Waltons was in the Santa Monica Mountains at Stone Canyon Reservoir. Since the lake at this location is used for domestic purposes, the area is probably closed to the public and some negotiations would have to be made to use the site. The studio's location is near this site and it would be a relatively short trip to the location, probably down Sunset Blvd or perhaps a jaunt down Mulholland Drive to the road leading down the canyon to the site. Incidentally, Mulholland Dr is named after William Mulholland who was the chief engineer for the L.A. Department of Water and Power. His reputation was ruined in 1929 when one of the Dams he was in charge with collapsed and 450 people drowned. He supposedly had inspected a leak in the dam the day before the collapse and said everything is okay. I suspect that the reservoir in Stone Canyon was part of the project he designed to bring water from the Owens Valley to L.A.
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Post by Forum Administrator on Mar 4, 2022 18:10:32 GMT -5
It was possibly filmed at Frazier Park. Judy Norton has mentioned several times in her You Tube videos that they often went there to film on location. I could be wrong, but I think they filmed scenes for several episodes when they went there, so they didn’t make that long trip for just one scene.
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Post by Forum Administrator on Mar 4, 2022 18:20:54 GMT -5
I found this quote from Eric Scott on the All About The Waltons website. ”We filmed the series mostly at the Warner Brothers Lot. Our interior scenes (Walton house,Ikes Store,Baldwin Sisters house) were on Stage 26. On the back lot was the exterior sets (Walton house, Ike's Store, Drucilla's pond, Country roads). The church was on the "Western Set" and the schoolhouse and Charlottesville were in the "Mid-Western Set". On the Warners Ranch, was the Baldwin's exterior house. We would also film on location at a little area called Franklin Canyon between the San Fernando Valley and Beverly Hills. Every year we would also go to Frazier Park and do exterior scenes (Wingwalker, Grandpa's Funeral, fighting for the other Waltons-Boone et al). We would try to get the exteriors done and then move to the interiors.”
All About The Waltons - Locations
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Post by flossieskid on Mar 7, 2022 5:23:01 GMT -5
Thanks to all the eagle eye Forum participants that listed some location options for that scene. Having lived in the San Fernando Valley for over 60 years and about 4 blocks from Mulholland for 50, I have been to all of those listed in the responses. But I never saw such a beautiful view as I saw in that episode - at least not that I remember. I’ll have to go back and take another look!
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Post by patriciaanne on Mar 8, 2022 12:55:00 GMT -5
I just came across this. I don't know if she will remember, but I will try to ask Kami on her Facebook page to confirm it was Frazier Park. That would have been my guess as well. I think they also used Griffin Park a couple of times. Is there anything that looks like that scene in Griffin Park?
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Post by patriciaanne on Mar 9, 2022 13:44:47 GMT -5
I just came across this. I don't know if she will remember, but I will try to ask Kami on her Facebook page to confirm it was Frazier Park. That would have been my guess as well. I think they also used Griffin Park a couple of times. Is there anything that looks like that scene in Griffin Park? Oops...it's Griffith Park. Sorry...East Coaster here. 😁
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Post by wacokyd on Mar 9, 2022 19:06:40 GMT -5
I do not have available the scene of the large lake in "A Christmas Carol" but one thing is for sure. The lake is not near the Frazier Park site because there is no large lake in Frazier Park. Frasier Park is located south of the San Joaquin Valley where average annual precipitation is only around 2 inches per year. This is lower than Death Valley and Palm Springs! So where is the lake? The closest one is a few miles south, Pyramid Lake located right along I5 where the crew would have to travel by on the way to Frazier. There are other alternatives including Lake Hollywood, only a few miles from the Studio. But this lake has a 3 mile road around it with fences on both sides. Other large lakes like Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear Lake have been used in films but to locate here for one shot would have been beyond the Waltons budget. My guess is still Stone Canyon Reservoir. It can be seen on the map below. Mulholland Drive, where Jack Nicolaus and Marlon Brando used to live, is just north of the reservoir. Just to the south east is Beverly Hills, once home to Jimmy Stewart, Lucille Ball and many many other movie stars. Attachment Deleted
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Post by Easton on Mar 14, 2022 19:24:35 GMT -5
Not to derail the thread, but every time I see the title, my first thought is the British real estate programme of the same name starring Kirstie Allsop and Phil Spencer.
And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
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