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 in the list below.
Bishop History, Information, & Features
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 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)
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 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 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.
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.
