Tag Archives: Film Locations

Classic Tuolumne Film: The Virginian (1929)

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Silent films gave way to the ‘talkies’ in late 1927 with the success of The Jazz Singer, but it wasn’t until a year later that anyone dared take this new-fangled sound-on-film equipment hundreds of miles away from a studio. It was a bold move for Paramount, which obviously had great confidence in experienced director Victor Fleming and up-and-coming star Gary Cooper. For many people the first sound-on-film they heard was the chug and whistle of Sierra #3!

Classic Tuolumne: The Red House

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Have you ever walked through the rocks of Columbia and thought “This would make a scary film location”? Well, you’re 60 years too late! Here’s the opening to the 1947 horror-mystery starring Edward G. Robinson, Rory Calhoun, and Julie London. These scenes show several locations in and around Columbia, California including the rocks and Columbia Grammar School.

Classic Tuolumne: Back to the Future III

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In 1989, Robert Zemekis decided to finish up his trilogy in the Old West. We are thankful he chose Tuolumne County as his location, building a set in the Red Hills region. A few years ago aspiring filmmaker and editor Doc Crotzer came back to the set location for the filming of his documentary called Looking Back to the Future. He was kind enough to gather a few comments from cast and crew about Sonora. Here’s Robert Zemekis, Christopher Lloyd, and several crew members talking about the experience:

And here’s a scene of Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd chasing Sierra #3:

Classic Tuolumne Film: The Big Valley (staring Sierra #3!)

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The Big Valley was the story of the Barkleys, a late 19th Century ranching family near Stockton, California. It is believed to be loosely based on the Hill Ranch in Calaveras County. It ran for four years, from 1965 to 1969, and was filmed in both Calaveras and Tuolumne counties.

Here’s the first episode of the series, featuring our own Sierra #3. You’ll get a great shot of #3 at 3:29.