I always thought the background scenery looked a little different from most westerns with all the Joshua trees and big rocks. Anyone know where the outdoor episodes were filmed?
shareWe were just at Pioneertown recently where many early Westerns were filmed. Among several places the Cisco Kid was flimed around Pioneertown hence many of the Joshua trees since it is only 15 miles away. Hope that helps.
JH
That area is very familiar to me: Apple Valley, California. The filming locations were along State Highway 18, near the old Apple Valley Inn and airport.
Exteriors for several western movies and TV shows were filmed there beginning in the 1930s through the early 1960s. One show shot almost entirely on location in Apple Valley was Sky King, and his trusty airplane "Songbird" was hangared at the Apple Valley airport.
The older local residents told us stories of seeing stars like John Wayne, Burt Lancaster and Ronald Reagan around the (very small) town when film crews were shooting on location. One of those locals was Roy Rogers and his wife Dale Evans, whose home was less than a mile from Apple Valley Inn.
I lived not far from there in the late 1980s and early 1990s while serving in the Air Force at nearby George Air Force Base (now closed, but re-incarnated as Southern California Logistics Airport {SCLA}).
The Cisco Kid was never shot in the Apple Valley area.
Mostly in the San Fernando Valley and Pioneer Town in the Yucca Valley area.
The Joshua Trees are found throughout the Mojave Desert. Granted, that includes Apple Valley but to my knowledge - and that of IMDB, the series was never shot there.
Corriganville, Ray Corrigan Ranch, Simi Valley, California, USA
Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA
Jack Ingram Ranch - 22255 Mulholland Drive, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
Kanab Canyon, Kanab, Utah, USA
Melody Ranch - 24715 Oak Creek Avenue, Newhall, California, USA
Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USA
Paria Canyon, Kanab, Utah, USA
Pioneertown, California, USA
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park - 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Rd., Agua Dulce, California, USA
Walker Ranch - 19152 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, California, USA
ZIV Studios, Santa Monica, California, USA
In my research work as a Paramount Ranch historian, I've identified some of the episodes that were shot in the original William Hertz built Western town at Paramount Ranch. The episodes may be found here - http://www.imdb.com/search/title?at=0&locations=Paramount%20Ranch%20-%202813%20Cornell%20Road,%20Agoura,%20California,%20USA&sort=year,asc&start=51 There are some episodes that are not availabe to view, so I haven't been able to check them. I have a hunch there are more episodes that used Paramount Ranch.
For those who do not know, Paramount Ranch is a National Park, part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area, and is open to the public for free seven days a week. In addition to being a historical and recreational site, filming is still allowed and encouraged. In recent years, it was home to Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and more recently, Hulu's Western comedy, Quick Draw. In the 1950's and early 1960's, in addition to The Cisco Kid, a few episodes of Bat Masterson were shot there. The Western town was used for exteriors for the duration of Hotel de Paree (1959-1960), Klondike (1960-1961) and Best of the West (1981). There are many other series that we believe shot there that we are still working to find episodes and confirm.
There is an old cabin behind the train station in the current incarnation of the town that was seen in a few of The Cisco Kid episodes. I've fought to keep it there, as it is one of the few things remaining at the ranch that still looks like it did in the 1950's. If you want to walk in the footsteps of many television Western greats, visit Paramount Ranch sometime! The Western town has evolved and changed over the years, but there's still a great sense of history.