On June 11, 1979, legendary actor John Wayne passed away from stomach cancer at UCLA Medical Center. Just two months earlier, he made his final public appearance at the Academy Awards on April 9. Wayne’s connection to the Santa Clarita Valley runs deep – his early film career was launched in Placerita Canyon, a favored location for Westerns during Hollywood’s ...

On March 23, 1886, Robert North Bradbury was born in Walla Walla, Washington, a prolific filmmaker who would later leave a lasting mark on early Western cinema and the Santa Clarita Valley. Once in Hollywood, Bradbury began acting in short films starring Broncho Billy Anderson, one fo the first western film stars, and later William. S. Hart. Bradbury directed more ...

On June 11, 1979, legendary actor John Wayne passed away from stomach cancer at UCLA Medical Center.  Just two months earlier, he made his final public appearance at the Academy Awards on April 9. Wayne’s connection to the Santa Clarita Valley runs deep – his early film career was launched in Placerita Canyon, a favored location for Westerns during Hollywood’s ...

Today in Santa Clarita History on March 23, 1934 local film history director Robert N. Bradbury helmed another classic Western, shot on location at Trem Carr’s movie ranch in Placerita Canyon the very same land where Disney’s Golden Oak Ranch stands today. Back in the early 1930s, the Santa Clarita Valley was quickly becoming a hotspot for Hollywood’s growing appetite ...

On Feb. 15, 1939, John Ford’s “Stagecoach” premiered in Los Angeles, forever changing the landscape of the Western film genre – and featuring an iconic Santa Clarita landmark. The movie, which propelled John Wayne to stardom and set a new standard for cinematic storytelling, was largely filmed in Monument Valley. However, a small yet significant piece of “Stagecoach” history was ...

Saddle up for a trip through entertainment history with a weekly highlight from Santa Clarita’s Walk of Western Stars! This week, “The Duke” himself, John Wayne! Born Marion Robert Morrison on May 26, 1907, in Winterset, Iowa, the man who would be John Wayne moved with his family to Palmdale, California and then later to Glendale, where he would graduate ...

Ed. Note: The following article is a news release provided by the office of Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. Much-needed funds were unanimously approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for a Valencia park where John Wayne and Gary Cooper once rode their horses, Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich announced. Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking Santa Clarita news alerts delivered right ...