Guests who have grown to love Bishop often desire to take a deep dive into the diversity of the Eastern Sierra’s treasures. The compilation below consolidates the area’s richness in one easy-to-find location. Nothing like this exists either in the digital domain or in print. It is a unique, one-of-a-kind, compendium that will keep you entertained for many days.
The following assemblage provides digital links to stories about the Eastern Sierra via videos, slide shows, cinematic films, podcasts, and documents immersing you into the area’s natural history on a grand scale. This “work in progress”, continually incorporates new features we uncover in the digital domain. Numerous gems are displayed on a Bishop Hidden Stories Playlist and in the list below.
Bishop History, Information, & Features
1920s
1919 film of Bishop by Harry Holland who operated the Bishop Opera House and started the Bishop Twin Theater:
The Film of All Ages Movie Link
1920s film by Burton Frasher of a pack trip over the Rainbow Trail from South Lake to North Lake:
Over the Rainbow Trail Video Link
1940s
1940s film of Champion Spark Plug Mine and the Operating Ranches East of Highway 6:
Champion Spark Plug Mine & Ranches Video Link
Champion Sparkplug Mine Story from Inyo Register (PDF)
1950s
Open the link below to watch a 1954 Owens Valley based TV series entitled Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley TV Series: 1954, Season 1 Episode 1. “Annie & the Brass Collar”
Annie Oakley is an American Western television series that fictionalizes the life of the famous Annie Oakley. Featuring actress Gail Davis in the title role, the weekly program ran from January 1954 to February 1957 in syndication. A total of 81 black-and-white episodes were produced, with each installment running 25 minutes in length. ABC aired daytime reruns of the series on Saturdays and Sundays from 1959 to 1960 and then again from 1964 to 1965.
The series starred Gail Davis as Annie Oakley, with Brad Johnson as Deputy Sheriff Lofty Craig and Jimmy Hawkins as Annie’s little brother, Tagg Oakley; Hawkins appeared in 80 of the series’ 81 episodes. In the pilot episode, “Bull’s Eye”, Tagg is played by Billy Gray (better known for his role as James “Bud” Anderson, Jr. on the TV version of Father Knows Best).[1] After playing Tagg in the Annie Oakley pilot, Gray joined the cast of Father Knows Best (which premiered in October 1954, nine months after the initial broadcast of Annie Oakley).
Annie Oakley was one of Gene Autry‘s Flying A Productions. Episodes were filmed in Owens Valley locations such as the Alabama Hills and more.
Season 1, Episode 1 entitled Annie and the Brass Collar depicts iconic Owens Valley locations train robbery and chase scenes using the Southern Pacific Railroad train as a valley subject setting.
The historic Lone Pine Railroad Station as it appears in 1954 is featured in this episode as well.
1960s
1960s Bishop Booster film promoting Bishop:
This is Bishop Promotional Video Link
Nevada Smith, produced in 1966, starred iconic Steve McQueen, Karl Malden, and Brian Keith in a classic movie western of revenge and renewal. The first hour of the movie and the last 45 minutes were filmed in the Eastern Sierra including the Alabama Hills, Bishop area, Buttermilk country, Laws Historic Site (at 37:15), Hot Creek, Owens Lake, Olancha Dunes, Convict Lake, Mammoth Lakes, etc. See if you can identify the movie location and scene with these area locations . . .
Nevada Smith Movie Link
1970s
1970s Union Carbide promotional film of Pine Creek Mine:
Pine Creek Mine Promotional Video Link
The 1974 terrible cheesy film entitled The Bat People aka It Lives by Night shows a chase scene in Bishop. Scroll to minute 43 where the chase scene begins. This movie is considered one of the top ten worse movies of all time.
The link below is a Mystery Science Theatre 3000 version of The Bat People aka It Lives by Night spoofing the original film with silhouetted figures sit at the bottom of the film and poke fun at the movie. Look for vintage Bishop Businesses in the chase scene.
1980s
1980s video of Slim Pickens promoting Mule Days:
Slim Pickens & Mule Days Promotional Video Link
Contemporary video presentation about a 1940s tragic military flight accident just west of Bishop and the mystery surrounding the crash and its investigation. Peter Stekel wrote Final Flight to explore this tragedy and the puzzling details surrounding the accident. Stekel presents a very compelling story in this video examining the accident, the cultural values of that era, the primitive science of aerial navigation, and more.
1990s
The 1990 comedy horror and cult film Tremors with Kevin Bacon was filmed predominantly in the Lone Pine’s Alabama Hills. The movie’s conclusion and climactic worm death scene north of Bishop was filmed along Chalk Bluff a few miles north of Bishop. The following link captures this last scene with Kevin Bacon outwitting the underground monster worms to their demise. Look for the Owens River and its floodplain from the top of Chalk Bluff in the scene. Bishop lies in the background hidden amidst a green forest of trees. Check out a clip of the movie.
