Before becoming associated with Gene Autry, Melody Ranch was already part of Hollywood’s early Western film industry. The Newhall property opened in 1915 as Monogram Studios, offering filmmakers ready-made sets as Westerns became popular. John Wayne was among the performers whose early productions used the site, while Autry had also filmed there before buying it in 1952. He renamed it Melody Ranch and adapted it for television, with several Flying A Pictures series produced there. The ranch later hosted programmes including Hopalong Cassidy and Gunsmoke. In 1962, a fire destroyed 54 structures and much of Autry’s collection, beginning decades of rebuilding, sales and changing uses.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
