A bunch of “Hondo” fans wrote to extol the movie after my column on it. I excerpt those comments and present a second overlooked (groan) San Dimas reference in the 1953 western in my Friday column. Giddyap.
Category Archives: Inland Valley in Movies
Column: In ‘Hondo,’ John Wayne has a ranch ‘east of San Dimas’
The 1953 movie has a classic bit of “local” dialogue. For its 70th anniversary, I watch the movie again, quote the full exchange and explain how the Louis L’Amour novel of “Hondo” is actually a novelization of the movie rather than the movie being an adaptation of the book, as I’d assumed. All that is in my Wednesday column, which misses the 70th anniversary by two days (but who’s counting?).
Column: Hendrix concert at the Swing was a literal riot
Jimi Hendrix performed concerts in San Bernardino twice, in 1968 and 1970. I write about ’em in Sunday’s column.
Column: ‘The Way Back’ uses Ontario church as well as Chaffey gym
The ol’ IVDB already reported in 2018 that “The Way Back,” the Ben Affleck movie, filmed at Chaffey High for two weeks, amounting to about one-third of the movie, and returned for reshoots in 2019. But I happened to learn recently that a church near the high school was also the site of filming for the movie. I write about that in Sunday’s column, as well as dishing up some coronavirus-related items, from the silly to the serious.
Column: Star matriculated to Ontario for 1924 filming
In 1924, Harold Lloyd came east to film a few scenes for “The Freshman” in downtown Ontario. Lloyd was one of the biggest stars of his day and this movie was a big hit. It’s among my favorites. I delve into the visit in Sunday’s column.
Column: Not ready for its ‘Sunset Boulevard’ closeup
As anyone who’s seen “Sunset Boulevard” knows, the movie has a great line of Pomona dialogue. It almost had a reference to San Bernardino too, but it got cut. Sorry, Berdoo. I explore that in Friday’s column.
Job shack sneaks way into cameo in ‘The Graduate’
Friday’s column ties up a few loose ends regarding filming in La Verne of “The Graduate” and “Wayne’s World 2,” while also offering a Culture Corner and a Valley Vignette.
‘The Graduate’ forever altar-ed La Verne church
You may know that the wedding scene in “The Graduate” — released 50 years ago today — was filmed in La Verne’s United Methodist Church. But you probably don’t know how it came to be and how it was almost wrecked. I round up all the details I can for Friday’s extra-long column, which is adorned with video clips, photos of the scenery as it appears today (watch the clips to compare and contrast) and even a video featuring yours truly. Let me know what you think — so far I can’t bring myself to watch it.
Column: They were here: ‘Poltergeist’ ending was filmed in Ontario
A friend alerted me to a fact I’d never heard: The ending of “Poltergeist” was filmed at an Ontario motel. But it checked out. That leads off Wednesday’s column, followed by some Culture Corner items, a plug for this blog and a Valley Vignette.
Column: With 1944 mention, Hollywood thought of Upland
I wasn’t aware of any movie dialogue that name-checked Upland before a reader alerted me to “The Very Thought of You” from 1944. That leads off Friday’s column, followed by Pomona dialogue from 2006’s “Inland Empire” and two nuggets from Claremont.