Kern River Valley
Kernville, California

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       Kern River Valley is the gateway to the Southern Sierra. It's two hours northeast of Los Angeles. The elevation of the lower valley is 2,360 feet above sea level. Its film history dates back to 1924. In May of 1964, the outdoor segments for "The Hostage" were filmed just above the valley. An abandoned gold mine and stamp mill on a ridge were choosen for these segments in the story. Riding shots of the actors were filmed in the foothills above the river and Kernville for other parts of the story. The next week, shooting began for "Thanks For Everything, Friend", with special guest star Rory Calhoun. The shots at the valley and river were expertly filmed by the crew while on location.

       As usual, the stunt doubles would do the ride-throughs and river-crossings for the main cast. The buckboard and stagecoach were brought on location and filmed as well. This would serve as stock footage, which would be edited in and save on production values of the series.

DIRECTIONS: You take Interstate 5 north from Los Angeles and drive over the summit of the Grapevine. When you drop down into the Central Valley, you will exit north on State Route 99 and reach Bakersfield. You will then exit right on State Route 178. The lower section of the valley is about 30 minutes along the route. The is where filming was done. The river is lined with sycamores, cottonwoods, and riparian vegetation in the lower valley.

Come Visit the Kern River Valley!

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