Western RoundUp: Pioneertown

Pioneertown

As longtime readers of this column will be aware, one of my favorite pastimes is to visit Western film locations.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Pioneertown, located in California’s Yucca Valley, roughly 16 miles from Joshua Tree National Park.

Pioneertown Sign

Pioneertown is similar to Corriganville, which I wrote about here in 2021, in that it was built specifically for the filming of movies.

Today it remains open as a tourist attraction and occasional movie location, and it’s also home for a few hundred people.

A notable former citizen of this small community was singer-actress Nancy Wilson, who died at her Pioneertown home in 2018, at the age of 81.

Nancy Wilson
Nancy Wilson

Pioneertown was established in 1946. Founding investors from the movie industry included Dick Curtis, Russell Hayden (“Lucky” of the Hopalong Cassidy movies), Roy Rogers, and the Sons of the Pioneers.

Actors George Tobias, David Bruce, and Adele Mara were among those who attended the groundbreaking ceremony in September 1946, along with the investors. There’s a photo of the group at the Pioneertown official website.

Pioneertown was planned as a place within easy driving distance of both Los Angeles and Palm Springs, providing everything needed for movie productions and their casts and crews.

Bowling Alley Pioneertown
Bowling Alley

There was a store, restaurant, beauty shop, and newspaper. The town even included a bowling alley, seen above and below, which was enjoyed by Roy Rogers, who was a skilled bowler. Some readers “of a certain age” may remember Rogers appearing on the TV show Celebrity Bowling in the ’70s.

Bowling Alley Sign Pioneertown

The original plan was to call the community Rogersville after Rogers, but when his former singing group, the Sons of the Pioneers, recorded a promotional song called “Out in Pioneertown,” it received its permanent name.

Over the years many Gene Autry and Cisco Kid movies were filmed at Pioneertown, along with non-Western films including The Capture (1950) with Lew Ayres and Teresa Wright and Jeopardy (1953) with Barbara Stanwyck and Barry Sullivan.

As Western film production became less frequent in the ’50s, numerous TV Westerns shot there, including Gene Autry productions such as The Gene Autry Show and Annie Oakley. Autry himself spent a great deal of time in Palm Springs, where he had various business interests; Pioneertown is roughly 35 miles away.

A small film museum documents some of the productions shot in Pioneertown over the years.

Museum Pioneertown

There’s a small amount of memorabilia in the museum; it’s chiefly filled with vintage movie posters.

Barbed Wire poster
Jeopardy Poster

I wrote about Gene Autry’s The Cowboy and the Indians (1949) here in 2018 and again more recently. I was especially enthused about seeing one of that film’s locations in person.

The Cowboy and the Indians poster

The town’s main street was dubbed Mane Street. Here are views looking two different directions.

Street Pioneertown
Street 2 Pioneertown

Mane Street is still home to a number of buildings which once doubled as movie sets.

Church Pioneertown
Church
Feed Pioneertown
Feed
Gazette Pioneertown
Gazette
Land Company Pioneertown
Land Company
Livery Stable Pioneertown
Livery Stable

While an ice cream parlor and grocery store are no longer there, there’s a still-functioning United States Post Office.

Post Office Pioneertown

A marker in front of the post office says it’s “said to be the most photographed post office in the entire United States.”

Post Office Marker Pioneertown

There’s also a small motel.

Motel Sign Pioneertown

Before leaving we ate lunch at the barbecue restaurant Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, which is also a concert venue. I was amazed to learn that the artists who’ve performed there have included Paul McCartney, who gave a concert in 2016.

Pappy and Harriets Pioneertown

In the restaurant lobby my eye was caught by an autographed photo of Pioneertown investors the Sons of the Pioneers, who appeared in many movies. That’s one-time group member Ken Curtis, later known as Festus on TV’s Gunsmoke, at the top center.

Sons of the Pioneers
Sons of the Pioneers

Pioneertown can be seen end to end, including a stop for lunch, in two or three leisurely hours. The town occasionally hosts events such as craft fairs and cookie contests. It’s an interesting and informative stop, especially for those who love Western film history.

Desert Beauty

The photographs accompanying this article are from the author’s personal collection.

– Laura Grieve for Classic Movie Hub

Laura can be found at her blog, Laura’s Miscellaneous Musings, where she’s been writing about movies since 2005, and on Twitter at @LaurasMiscMovie. A lifelong film fan, Laura loves the classics including Disney, Film Noir, Musicals, and Westerns.  She regularly covers Southern California classic film festivals.  Laura will scribe on all things western at the ‘Western RoundUp’ for CMH.

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4 Responses to Western RoundUp: Pioneertown

  1. Barry Lane says:

    Thumbs up, Laura. A grand and fascinating piece.

  2. Laura Grieve says:

    Thank you so much for reading and for the very kind words, Barry. I’m so glad you enjoyed it and appreciate your feedback very much.

    Best wishes,
    Laura

  3. Walter S. says:

    Laura, thank you for taking us along to Pioneertown. I always enjoy the trips by way of your write-ups and photographs.

  4. Laura Grieve says:

    Thank you so much for reading and for the kind feedback, Walter! I appreciate it.

    Best wishes,
    Laura

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