Fantastic Serial Sites of California

The first of its kind, this guide to California filming sites covers five decades of science fiction, fantasy, and horror in chapter plays. Covering more than 60 serials, many familiar locations are documented, including the rugged terrain of Red Rock Canyon, which served as a stand-in for Saturn in Buck Rogers; the Bronson Caves and Griffith Observatory, which appeared in Flash Gordon; and the famous Iverson Ranch, which appeared in Batman, Superman and many other serials. The reader will also find serials starring Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney, Jr.

Also covered are the skyscrapers that appeared alongside Captain Marvel in The Adventures of Captain Marvel, the location of the Green Hornet’s apartment and filming locations for five silent serials. The in-depth storytelling is enhanced by photos of serial memorabilia, postcards, serial descriptions, accurate instructions to locations, notes and more.

Retired librarian Gail Orwig has written genre film location articles for Filmfax, Outré, Films of the Golden Age, Scary Monsters, Cine Cuvee, and Classic Images. Her favorite films are the Golden Age “horror” films. She lives in El Sobrante, California.

Raymond Orwig is a retired teacher living in El Sobrante, California, whose interests include ’50s science fiction films. He has written articles for Filmfax, Outré, Films of the Golden Age, Cine Cuvee, Scary Monsters, and Classic Images.

Gail Orwig and Raymond Orwig
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 309
Bibliographic Info: 880 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2022
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7791-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4589-6
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments  ix
Preface  1
Introduction  3
The Serials and Their Locations  7
Appendix: Know Your Caves  281
Bibliography  283
Index  287

• “Masterful…This is an exhaustively researched book with a very inviting, conversational style. The authors not only provide driving directions but include a special section where they share their observations and personal experiences while on the hunt.”—Videoscope

• “Excellent”—Scary Monster Magazine