On September 27, 1935, RKO Pictures released “Powdersmoke Range,” a B-western shot in Newhall that helped set the stage for one of Hollywood’s most enduring cowboy franchises.

The film starred Harry Carey as Tucson Smith, Hoot Gibson as Stony Brooke, and Guinn “Big Boy” Williams as Lullaby Joslin, characters first introduced in William Colt MacDonald’s 1934 novel “Powdersmoke Range.”

Their novel partnership would later inspire Republic Pictures’ popular “Three Mesquiteers” film series, which ran from 1936 to 1943.

The story follows new ranch owners Tucson, Stony, and Lullaby, who discover their legal papers stolen and cattle rustled. Their troubles lead to a showdown with the notorious gunslinger Saunders in a classic “high noon” duel.

The movie also featured Santa Clarita’s own William Andrew “Red” Lamoreaux, better known by his screen name Buzz Barton.

A Newhall native, Barton had risen to fame as a child star in silent westerns during the 1920s.

Though his roles grew smaller with the arrival of talkies, Barton continued to appear in dozens of low-budget westerns throughout the 1930s, including “Powdersmoke Range,” where he played the character Buck.

The release of “Powdersmoke Range” not only marked a milestone in Newhall’s place as “Hollywood’s backlot,” but also bridged the silent-era cowboy stars with a new generation of western heroes.

Notably, two of the film’s stars, Hoot Gibson and Harry Carey, were very familiar with the Santa Clarita Valley as local residents.

Harry Carey, born Henry DeWitt Carey II in the Bronx in 1878, was one of silent cinema’s first cowboy superstars.

Carey worked as a cowboy, playwright, railway superintendent, and lawyer before turning to films, where he became famous for rugged, heroic roles, including the iconic Cheyenne Harry series.

Carey purchased a 1,000-acre ranch in Saugus with his wife, actress Olive Fuller Golden, which later became Tesoro Adobe Historic Park.

Hoot Gibson, born in Nebraska in 1892, also had ties to Santa Clarita. A rodeo star and local entrepreneur, Gibson had purchased a rodeo arena and stadium in Saugus in 1930, selling it only a few years later.

“Powdersmoke Range” is one of dozens of western films filmed in the Santa Clarita Valley, showcasing early cinema and highlighting our role as a backdrop and home to some of Hollywood’s most iconic cowboy stars.

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