Movie Location EP Ranch

by Anita Mae Draper

The Calgary Stampede, movie poster, 1925. Wikipedia

If you've been following my series on Edward Prince of Wales and the Edward Prince (EP) Ranch, you know that 1924 had been Edward's third visit since 1919 when he'd bought the old Bedingfeld Ranch near Pekisko, Alberta, Canada. As a true working ranch with qualified staff and hands, the ranch continued its breeding program, stock sales, and ranch maintenance no matter where Edward was in his schedule of royal duties as heir to the British throne. 

However, even without a royal visit, 1925 was an exciting year at the EP Ranch because it had been chosen as the location for some of the scenes in the silent western film The Calgary Stampede starring Hoot Gibson, Virginia Browne Faire, and among others, a very young Walter Brennan.

Hoot Gibson and party at EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, 1925. Glenbow Archives

Second from the left in the above photo shows Helen Carlyle, daughter of EP Ranch Manager W.L. Carlyle. In this next photo, her father and the film's star Hoot Gibson, are enjoying themselves watching the action. 

Hoot  Gibson and W. L. Carlyle on EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, 1925. Glenbow Archives

As stated on the movie poster at the top of this post, many scenes were also shot on location at the 1925 Calgary Stampede. I found a video by a youtube reviewer which shows parts of the actual film footage of The Calgary Stampede with commentary (time 2:55-5:35), and gives a great example of the silent film era.

Westember II - 4. Hoot Gibson in The Calgary Stampede (1925)

Other scenes were shot around the Calgary area.

Virginia Browne Faire and Hoot Gibson, Calgary, Alberta. 1925. Glenbow Archives

The 1992 Academy award winning movie Unforgiven starring and directed by Clint Eastwood also has scenes shot at the EP Ranch. Edward Buscombe's book with the same title as the movie Unforgiven states, "Most of the exteriors of Unforgiven were shot on the E.P. Ranch in Alberta in Canada, sixty miles southwest of Calgary." Running into Clint Eastwood in 1991 was said to be a common occurrence as several locations in Alberta were used extensively in the filming, as well as the Red Hills Ranch, Sonora, California. 

According to wikipedia, in 2004 Unforgiven was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". 

You can read previous posts on Prince Edward's EP Ranch at these links:

May 5th - Alberta's Edward Prince Ranch

June 5th - EP Ranch Royal Visit 1923

July 5th - Butter Prince of 1924

Aug 5th - EP Ranch Furnishings

Do you watch the credits to see where a movie was filmed? I do. Sometimes I even get to visit the actual location. Watching the movie afterwards brings back memories of my trip and vice versa. A nice circle. 

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Anita Mae Draper lives on the Canadian prairies where she uses her experience and love of history to enhance her stories of yesteryear's romance with realism and faith. Readers can enrich their story experience with visual references by checking Anita's Pinterest boards. All links available on her website at www.anitamaedraper.com

America's First Western Film Star

Hi!  Winnie Griggs here.  I came across an interesting bit of trivia a while back that intrigued me enough to send me on a research rabbit trail.

Maxwell Henry Aronson was born on March 21, 1880 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.  Max eventually changed his name to Gilbert M. Anderson, but you would probably know him better by the name of the character he played in over 300 films – Broncho Billy.

Anderson drifted into acting, working first as a photographer’s model and then newspaper vendor before moving into work as a vaudeville performer.  In 1903 Anderson landed a role in The Great Train Robbery by claiming he could ride a horse like a Texas Ranger.  When it turned out he could hardly climb onto a saddle, he was demoted to ‘extra’ and ended up playing several minor parts in the film.  The resulting 10 minute movie found an enthusiastic reception from the general public, and Anderson was hooked.  He decided to make his career in the fledgling moving picture business.


Anderson formed a partnership with old friend George Spoor and together they created the Essanay Company (the name is a play on the first letter of each of their last names “S and A”).  This company was destined to become one of the early film industry’s predominant studios. 

At first Essanay made comedies, but Anderson couldn’t forget the success of The Great Train Robbery and soon he focused on Westerns.  But where Anderson really differentiated himself, is that he was one of the first to realize that the public needed a ‘star’ to latch on to, a central character they could really focus on.  But at that time (1909) the big names of the stage were reluctant to risk their careers on the new medium of film.  So Anderson decided to take on that star role himself, creating the character of Broncho Billy from ideas he collected for the most part from popular dime novels.  Anderson wrote and directed most of the movies himself and within five years he had filmed over 300 one or two reel movies featuring his new character.  Most of these films were distributed simultaneously in the U.S. and Great Britain.  And while Anderson was not especially dashing, audiences liked Broncho Billy for his bravery and virtue.  

As an interesting side note, Essanay studios also filmed many Charlie Chaplin shorts, including The Little Tramp.

In 1915, Anderson’s final film in the Broncho Billy series, Broncho Billy’s Sentence, was released.  He tried his hand at writing for a while and then later he attempted a film comeback.  But by then more dashing actors such as William S. Hart and Tom Mix had taken over the interests and hearts of movie goers.  So Anderson turned to making comedies for a while before finally retiring from film.

Some of the milestones in his later years:

• 1958 – Received an honorary Oscar as a “motion picture pioneer, for his contributions to the development of motion pictures as entertainment.”
• 1965  - he made a cameo appearance at age 85  in a modern Hollywood Western called The Bounty Killer, his first talking picture.
• 1998 – posthumously honored with his image on a U.S. postage stamp.
• 2002 – posthumously inducted into the National Cowboy Hall Of Fame
• Anderson also has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
• Gilbert Anderson died in his sleep in 1971 at the age of 90 at a sanitarium in South Pasadena, Ca.  He was cremated and his ashes were placed in a vault at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory in Los Angeles.

So there you have it, the fascinating life and times of Broncho Billy.  

What about you?  Are you a fan of the western movie genre?  Have you seen any Broncho Billy movies or even heard of him before?  And what is your favorite all time Western movie?

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans: Depicting Western History in Films

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Okay, okay, this can’t be historical because I, Nancy J Farrier, remember Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, his

horse, Trigger and his dog, Bullet. But, they represented the historical western in movies and books. A couple of weeks ago, when I was bike riding with my son-in-law, he pointed out the home where Roy Rogers and Dale Evans lived. I wondered about their story and thought you might be interested too.

Born November 5^th, 1911, Leonard Franklin Slye, grew up in Ohio, and moved with his family to California in the late 1920’s. Rogers began his music career with his cousin, Stanley, when the pair played at square dances and local theaters. Rogers met Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer, who would later be part of the Sons of the Pioneers, but they began as the O-Bar-O Cowboys. They appeared in several motion pictures before Rogers caught his big break.

In his early film career, Rogers was known as Dick Weston, the name he used as he sang with the Sons of the Pioneers. He became Roy Rogers after being offered a seven-year film contract. In 1938, Rogers replace the well-known Gene Autry because of a contract dispute. The film, Under the Western Sky, became a major hit and Roger’s career took off. He did an average of seven “singing Westerns” every year until the early 1950’s. The rivalry between Autry and Roger’s boosted both of their careers.

Dale Evans, born October 31, 1912, in Texas, began singing on the radio before she starred in movies with Rogers. In 1944, the duo appeared in the movie, The Yellow Rose of Texas, and their chemistry appealed to audiences across the country. Evans became known as The Queen of the West, and sheHappy Trails to You.
wrote the well-known theme song,

On New Year’s Eve in 1947, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans married. Their fans were delighted with the charismatic couple. From 1944 to 1951 the couple appeared in almost 30 movies together. In the 1950’s, Rogers starred in The Roy Rogers Show, a popular television series, which costarred Dale Evans. The song, Happy Trails, became the theme song. In the early 1960’s, the show enjoyed a comeback as The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show.

Roy Rogers was known for his kindness and his caring for other people. He loved his fans so much that he attempted to answer every fan letter personally, even though the cost came out of his pocket since the studio refused to pay for stamps. He loved his audience.

Dale Evans also became an accomplished song writer and author, recording 30 children’s records. In 1953, she wrote the book, Angel Unaware, the story of their daughter Robin, who was born with Down’s Syndrome and died before her second birthday. Evans loved to share her faith in her songs and books. She and Rogers attended the Church of the Valley in Apple Valley, California.

Despite the hardships they faced—the death of three children, one an infant and two grown—Roy Rogers and Dale Evans lived their faith. They loved each other and they loved their audience. They delighted people of all ages with their acting, their music and their warm personalities.

I remember watching Roy Rogers and Dale Evans on television. Do you? Did your parents watch them? Of course, my favorite was Trigger, Roy’s horse, followed by a close second with Bullet, his dog. I’d love to hear your memories of this couple who portrayed our countries western history in many films.

This is the month to give thanks. I am so thankful to be part of this blog, and to have you readers. Please leave a comment to enter a drawing. I am giving away one of my books and a lovely Thanksgiving plaque to hang on the wall.

Nancy J Farrier is an award winning author who lives in Southern California in the Mojave Desert. She loves the Southwest and interesting historical past. Nancy and her husband have five children. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats, and spend time with her family. Nancy is represented by Karen Ball of The Steve Laube Literary Agency. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: www.nancyjfarrier.com.