The Hidden History of Hollywood West: Ventura County's Classic Movie Locations

Ever since French director Gaston Melies shot his 1912 Western short, The Ghost of Suphur Mountain in Santa Paula, Ventura County has been a popular destination for filmmakers. In this lecture we will reveal the rich history of Ventura County’s most popular locations including Ahmanson Ranch/Upper Las Virgenes Canyon (which appeared in Gone With the Wind, The Grapes of Wrath and Pineapple Express); Simi Valley (Everything Everywhere All at Once, Babylon); Moorpark (The Clonus Horror, The Fabelmans); Ventura (Little Miss Sunshine, Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator); Lake Sherwood and Hidden Valley (North by Northwest, Memoirs of a Geisha, Seabiscuit); Oak Park (Tumbleweeds, Of Mice and Men); Mountclef Ridge (Spartacus, Wuthering Heights) and the county-adjacent city of Westlake Village (80 for Brady).  Rarely seen photos and film clips will accompany the lectures.

A Southern California native, Harry Medved has served as the PR lead for Fandango, Yahoo!, Warner Bros. Online and the Screen Actors Guild. Prior to creating the “Lost and Found” travel column for the Pasadena Star-News, he co-authored the popular movie books The Fifty Worst Films of All Time, The Golden Turkey Awards and Hollywood Escapes.  

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 and older seeking intellectual stimulation through university level courses (without the pressure of grades) for the sake of learning and social engagement.

Register

Register by July 10 at 3 p.m.