Foundations from old movie sets at Corriganville Regional Park. Image Credit: Wikipedia
In 1965, comedian and actor Bob Hope bought Corriganville, a 212-acre former Hollywood movie ranch in Simi Valley, California. In 1988, the City of Simi Valley purchased 190 acres and converted the land into Corriganville Park, preserving part of a site that had played a major role in Hollywood’s Western filmmaking history. Bob Hope purchased Corriganville in 1965 and renamed it ‘Hopetown. Atlas Obscura reports that the sale was connected to plans for housing on the 212-acre site. Actor and stuntman Ray ‘Crash’ Corrigan bought the land in 1937. The site began operating as a movie ranch in 1938. Corriganville was used for an estimated 3,000 to 3,500 films, television programmes and commercials, according to Flying Dawn Marie. It operated as a Western-themed tourist attraction between 1949 and 1965, according to Classic Movie Hub. They could also see the fort constructed for John Ford’s 1948 film ‘Fort Apache.
Classic Movie Hub reports that several structures were lost due to major fires in 1971 and 1979. evidence of the site’s earlier use was not completely lost Although most of the original sets disappeared.
Corrigan was already established in Western films and had appeared in the ‘Three Mesquiteers’ series, according to Classic Movie Hub. The property had spent decades serving the film industry , providing locations for thousands of films, television programmes and commercials. It also operated as a tourist attraction, where visitors could explore Western-style sets and watch stunt performances. Hope renamed the property Hopetown, and plans later emerged to develop much of the land. However, the former movie ranch took a different path. Fires destroyed many of its remaining structures during the 1970s, but much of the property remained undeveloped. The sale marked the end of the site’s period as a public movie ranch and tourist attraction. The property’s future soon shifted towards development. Those plans reflected a broader change in the property’s role. Rather than continuing as a dedicated film and entertainment venue, the land was increasingly viewed as an area with development potential. Its open landscape and rock formations made it suitable for productions requiring outdoor locations. Several leading Western stars worked there, including John Wayne, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. However, the ranch was not restricted to Western productions. Films associated with the site included ‘The Creature from the Black Lagoon,’ ‘The African Queen’ and ‘The Three Musketeers. Television productions such as ‘The Lone Ranger,’ ‘The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin’ and ‘Star Trek’ also used the location. Corriganville eventually expanded beyond its role as a filming location. Visitors could explore the sets and watch stunt performances. Flying Dawn Marie reports that the attraction included stagecoach rides and staged shoot-outs. The site featured a Western street called Silvertown, with buildings designed to resemble a typical frontier settlement. These included shops, stables, a church and a schoolhouse. Corriganville also had facilities designed specifically for filmmaking. A man-made lake was used for water scenes, while a specially constructed room with thick windows enabled underwater filming. Classic Movie Hub reports that the lake was used for productions including the ‘Jungle Jim’ series. Much of what remained at the former ranch was destroyed by brush fires during the 1970s. The destruction removed many of the buildings that had once formed Corriganville’s elaborate film and tourist sets. However, some physical remains survived. Concrete foundations, stonework and other structures were left behind. The man-made lake and the site’s underwater filming facility also remained. These remnants would later become part of the landscape preserved within the park.
