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1-50 of 1,547
- Writer
- Producer
Esteban Echeverría was born on 2 September 1805 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was a writer and producer, known for Cuentos de película (2001), Argentina Animada (2018) and Bruno (2006). He died on 19 January 1851 in Montevideo, Uruguay.- Paul Hervieu was born on 2 September 1857 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. He was a writer, known for La main qui a tué (1924), L'énigme (1918) and Le réveil (1925). He died on 25 October 1915 in Paris, France.
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
The last reigning monarch of the Hawai'ian Islands, she became Queen of Hawai'i upon the death of her brother, King KalÄkaua I, in 1891. She reigned for just under two years and was then overthrown in 1893 by a group in the white business community led by Sanford Dole, cousin of pineapple magnate James Dole. This effort was backed with the threat of force from combined forces of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The American minister in Hawai'i, John L. Stevens, had troops take over Iolani Palace, the Honolulu residence of the Queen, as well as other governmental buildings and in 1894, the Queen was deposed, ending centuries of monarchial rule and establishing the Republic of Hawai'i with Sanford Dole as its first president.
In 1895, Liliuokalani was accused of attempting to regain the throne after weapons were found in the gardens of her home in Washington Place in Honolulu. She was arrested but denied knowledge of the existence of these weapons, claiming that any plan of rebellion was due to the efforts of others and in 1896, she was released after the perpetrators were caught. At the request of the Queen, Dole subsequently granted all of them a pardon. The former Queen lived the remainder of her life at Washington Place, now the official residence of the Governor of Hawai'i. Dole led a successful effort to lobby Congress for the annexation of Hawai'i to the United States for economic exploitation, which occurred in 1898 through a joint resolution of Congress. Liliuokalani died due to complications from a stroke in 1917.- Richard Voß was born on 2 September 1851 in Neu Grape, Pomerania, Germany [now Nowe Chrapowo, Zachodniopomorskie, Poland]. He was a writer, known for Schuldig (1913), Alexandra (1914) and Eva (1913). He was married to Melanie von Glenck. He died on 10 June 1918 in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, Germany.
- Giovanni Verga was born on 2 September 1840 in Catania, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies [now Catania, Sicily, Italy]. He was a writer, known for Fatal Desire (1953), Tigre reale (1916) and Cavalleria rusticana (1916). He died on 27 January 1922 in Catania, Sicily, Italy.
- G.R. Sims was born on 2 September 1847 in London, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Master and Man (1929). He was married to Annie Maria Harriss, Sarah Elizabeth Collis and Elizabeth Florence Wykes. He died on 4 September 1922 in Marylebone, London, England, UK.
- Writer
- Director
- Actor
George R. Sims was born on 2 September 1847 in London, England, UK. He was a writer and director, known for Lady Letmere's Jewellery (1908), The Life Line (1919) and The Lights of London (1923). He was married to Elizabeth Florence Wykes, Anne Maria Harris and Sarah Elizabeth Collins. He died on 4 September 1922 in London, England, UK.- James H. Wilson was born on 2 September 1837 in Shawneetown, Illinois, USA. He died on 23 February 1925 in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.
- Riley Hatch was born on 2 September 1862 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for The Conquest of Canaan (1921), The Plunderer (1915) and Night Life of New York (1925). He was married to Florence Estelle Wiesner. He died on 6 September 1925 in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, USA.
- Charles Agnew MacLean was born on 2 September 1880 in Ireland [now Northern Ireland], UK. Charles Agnew was a writer, known for The Mainspring (1916). Charles Agnew was married to Grace Reynolds Thomas. Charles Agnew died on 17 June 1928 in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
- Soundtrack
Leo Wood was born on 2 September 1882 in San Francisco, California, USA. Leo died on 2 August 1929 in New York City, New York, USA.- Regina Alice Doyle was born on September 2, 1907 in Chicago, Illinois. Her father, John Doyle, was a fireman. She was educated at the Grenshaw Conservatory and began appearing in local theater productions. Regina was discovered by Carl Laemmle, the president of Universal Pictures, who attended one of her performances in Chicago. Mr. Laemmle told her if she wanted a career in the movies he would give her that chance. At the age of seventeen she moved to Los Angeles and signed a contract with Universal. She made her film debut in 1925 western Bashful Whirlwind. Regina married thirty-five year old Stewart Gilbert Cornelius, a real estate agent, on October 3, 1925. The couple had a daughter, Regina Joan, in 1926 but they divorced a year later.
She appeared in more than a dozen western shorts including The Lone Prairie, A Daring Dude, and The Scrapping Ranger. In 1928 she was given the lead opposite Edward Cobb in Beyond The Smoke. Regina seemed destined for stardom but in 1929 Universal dropped her contract. She never made another film. On September 29, 1931 she was driving on Highland Avenue in Hollywood when her car crashed into a freight train. She was thrown from the vehicle and died almost instantly. Regina was only twenty-four years old. She is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles. Just a few days before Regina's death her mother had a premonition something terrible was going to happen. She warned her daughter to "Drive slowly". - Harriett Jay was born on 2 September 1853 in Grays, Essex, England, UK. She was a writer, known for Alone in London (1915), When Knights Were Bold (1916) and Il cavaliere del silenzio (1916). She died on 23 December 1932 in Ilford, Essex, England, UK.
- Charles Lorrain was born on 2 September 1873 in Béziers, Hérault, France. He was an actor, known for Un rêve blond (1932), Le roman d'une pauvre fille (1911) and La belle marinière (1932). He died on 4 January 1933 in Paris, France.
- Adela Measor was born on 2 September 1857 in Philipstown, County Offaly, Ireland, UK [now Daingean, Republic of Ireland]. She was an actress, known for Old Scrooge (1913). She was married to J.C. Buckstone. She died on 9 June 1933 in Chelsea, London, England, UK.
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Paul Bourget was born on 2 September 1852 in Amiens, France. He was a writer, known for Cosmopolis (1920), Monique (1921) and Il discepolo (1917). He was married to Minnie David. He died on 25 December 1935 in Paris, France.- William H. Tooker was born on 2 September 1869 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Night of Love (1927), The Scarlet Letter (1926) and Romance of the Underworld (1928). He died on 10 October 1936 in Hollywood, California, USA.
- H.R.L. Sheppard was born on 2 September 1880 in Windsor, Berkshire, England, UK. He died on 31 October 1937 in London, England, UK.
- Writer
- Director
- Cinematographer
Enrique García Velloso was born on 2 September 1880 in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. He was a writer and director, known for Mariano Moreno y la revolución de Mayo (1915), Un romance argentino (1916) and Bewitching Kisses (1937). He died on 27 January 1938 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.- Ruzena Maturová was born on 2 September 1869 in Prague, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary [now Czech Republic]. She was an actress, known for Mrtví zijí (1922), Babicka (1922) and Koryatovic (1922). She died on 25 February 1938 in Prague, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic].
- Writer
- Additional Crew
James Forbes was born on 2 September 1871 in Salem, Ontario, Canada. He was a writer, known for The Chorus Lady (1915), Bachelor's Affairs (1932) and The Traveling Salesman (1916). He was married to Ada Eugenie Fischer. He died on 26 May 1938 in Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Knud Lumbye was born on 2 September 1875 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was an actor and writer, known for Storstadens Hyæne (1912), Borgens Hemmelighed (1913) and Det store Fald (1911). He died on 28 May 1938.- Zofia Dromlewiczowa was born on 2 September 1899 in Warsaw, Poland, Russian Empire [now Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland]. Zofia was a writer, known for Puszcza (1932) and Miodowe miesiace z przeszkodami (1924). Zofia died on 19 August 1938 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.
- Camera and Electrical Department
Jack Landrigan was born on 2 September 1898 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is known for The Rogue Song (1930). He died on 17 March 1939 in Barstow, California, USA.- Prolific journalist and novelist whose work describes the conflicting epoch between WWI and II. Known for his existential, sober and precise prose, in which poetry is many times subdued to the subtext, without losing its eloquence.
The Sunday Times has described Roth as an author 'whose major novels deserve a wide readership', whilst The Publisher's Weekly defined him as 'a concise, powerful writer who brilliantly evokes the social, political and intellectual turmoil of the (his) era'.
Rolling Stone magazine has labeled some of his novels to be 'almost perfect'. The Sunday Telegraph said of Roth '(he) was a great writer because he wrote magnificently about the great issues of his century'.
Joseph Roth was born in Galicia, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and fought in the Austrian army during WWI. He worked consequently as a journalist in Frankfurt before departing from Germany for good, a decision he took once the Nazi Party came to power.
He died a destitute in Paris in 1939, bequeathing us with some of the most compelling and honest novels of his time.
Two of his works, Flight Without End and Hotel Savoy, are being adapted for the feature-screen on contemporary settings by screenwriter Pablo Salvador N.G. - Ralph McCullough was born on 2 September 1895 in Laramie, Wyoming, USA. He was an actor, known for What Shall I Do? (1924), Paradise Express (1937) and Seven Years Bad Luck (1921). He died on 25 December 1943 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Durward Lely was born James Durward Lyall and studied singing in Milan. He made his stage debut, under the Italianate name of 'Signor Leli', in 1878 as Don Jose in Carmen with the Mapleson Opera Company. After two years on tour with Mapleson, he joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company as a tenor choristor singing for Gilbert and Sullivan, later replacing George Power as Frederic in "The Pirates of Penzance". It was at Arthur Sullivan's suggestion that he adopted the professional (a later, personal) name of Durward Lely. When Power left the Company, Lely became its principal tenor, creating the roles of the Duke of Dunstable in "Patience" (April 1881), Tolloller in "Iolanthe" (December 1882), Cyril in "Princess Ida" (January 1884), Nanki-Poo in "The Mikado" (March 1885), and Dick Dauntless is "Ruddygore" (later "Ruddigore") (January 1887). He also played the roles of The Defendant in "Trial by Jury" and Alexis in "The Sorcerer" when they were revived in a double bill in October 1884. Lely left the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in November 1887 when the "Ruddigore" run ended. Work post-Carte included singing in concerts and in Grand Opera (including in "Carmen" opposite Emily Soldene). Between 1890 and 1893 he had numerous operatic engagements in London, as well as regular tours of America. He was a regular in cantatas and oratorios, and he later toured with fellow ex-D'Oyly Carter Richard Temple in "Rob Roy". He performed with his own opera company, and toured with the Carl Rosa Opera Company. Before retiring to Scotland, he toured with his wife in an entertainment called "Scottish Song and Story," and later made his one and only film appearance in Rob Roy (1911). He wrote his autobiography, which was sadly never published, although the manuscript still exists.
- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Georg Zoch was born on 2 September 1902 in Danzig, West Prussia, Germany [now Gdansk, Pomorskie, Poland]. He was a writer and director, known for Der dunkle Punkt (1940), Wenn Männer verreisen (1940) and A Waltz for You (1934). He was married to Nina Raven-Zoch. He died on 31 March 1944.- Kate Mayhew was born on 2 September 1853 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. She was an actress, known for Hazel Kirke (1916), Tongues of Flame (1924) and Baseball's Peerless Leader (1913). She died on 16 June 1944 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Henrietta Crosman was born on 2 September 1861 in Wheeling, West Virginia, USA. She was an actress, known for Charlie Chan's Secret (1935), The Right to Live (1935) and The Royal Family of Broadway (1930). She was married to Maurice Campbell and Sedley Brown. She died on 31 October 1944 in Pelham Manor, New York, USA.
- Hiram Johnson was born on 2 September 1866 in Sacramento, California, USA. He was married to Minnie L. McNeal. He died on 6 August 1945 in Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
- Additional Crew
Louisa Wetherill was born on 2 September 1877 in Elko, Nevada, USA. She is known for The Vanishing American (1925). She died on 19 September 1945 in Kayenta, Navajo County, Arizona, USA.- Simo Osa was born on 2 September 1873 in Kaukola, Finland. He was an actor, known for One Man's Fate (1940), Jumalan myrsky (1940) and Onni pyörii (1942). He died on 22 October 1945.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Erik A. Petschler was born on 2 September 1881 in Gothenburg, Västra Götalands län, Sweden. He was an actor and director, known for Hin och smålänningen (1927), Värmlänningarna (1921) and Luffar-Petter (1922). He was married to Ragnhild E. Ch. Broberg. He died on 10 December 1945 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden.- Art Department
Keefe O'Malley was born on 2 September 1901 in Dayton, Ohio, USA. Keefe died on 3 January 1946 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Art Department
Keefe Maley was born on 2 September 1901 in Dayton, Ohio, USA. Keefe died on 3 January 1946 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Werner von Blomberg was born on 2 September 1878 in Stargard, Pomerania, Germany [now Stargard Szczecinski, Zachodniopomorskie, Poland]. He died on 22 March 1946 in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany.
- Actor
- Art Department
- Set Decorator
Isaac Grünewald was born on 2 September 1889 in Stockholm, Sweden. He was an actor and set decorator, known for For Her Sake (1930). He died on 22 May 1946 in Oslo, Norway.- Director
- Camera and Electrical Department
Rafail Gikov was born on 2 September 1905 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Rafail was a director, known for Orlovskaya bitva (1943), Na zashchitu rodnoy Moskvy (1941-1942) (1942) and Den voyny (1942). Rafail died on 17 July 1946 in Moscow, Russia.- Edward Mills Howard was born Friday, September 2, 1910 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA, the eighth of ten children born to James Robert Howard (1853-1937) and Lula Monica Mills (1871-1952). Edward's father began as a farmer, moved into being a carpentry foreman for the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, and later became a building contractor. Edward had six brothers and three sisters. Following his sophomore year at Tuscaloosa Senior High School the 1930 U. S. Census identifies his occupation as a bricklayer. He married Bernyce Eva Bell (October 26, 1915 - December 16, 2009), a legal secretary, in Los Angeles, California, USA, in 1935. They were living in Santa Monica in 1940 and Edward was working as a route man for a laundry. They divorced in the early 1940's. His acting career began with six minor uncredited roles in 1942, 1943 and 1944. In 1945 he had a variety of roles in fifteen B-westerns. In his three final movies in 1946 his most prominent role was as Dunc Rankin in Thunder Town in his next to last film appearance. Edward passed away in a Los Angeles hospital on Monday, September 16, 1946 after an illness of several months. The funeral service and burial were held on Friday, September 20, 1946 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. Interment was in Evergreen Cemetery in that community.
- Edna May was born on 2 September 1878 in Syracuse, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Salvation Joan (1916) and Hearst-Selig News Pictorial, No. 8 (1915). She was married to Oscar Lewisohn and Frederick Titus. She died on 2 January 1948 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Sinisa Ravasi was born on 2 September 1911 in Cacak, Serbia, Yugoslavia. He was an actor, known for The Unconquered People (1947). He died on 30 April 1948 in Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia.
- Actor
- Director
Olaf Skavlan was born on 2 September 1884 in Minnesota, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Romeo and Juliet (1916), Why America Will Win (1918) and The Yellow Traffic (1914). He died on 2 June 1949 in San Francisco, California, USA.- Actress
Jean was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1923. She graduated from Franklin High School in Los Angeles in 1941. Soon, Jean was working as a model for a local clothing firm. Later, she was a dancer with the Earl Carroll Theatre. Jean got married to Dexter Benner, and they had a daughter, Christine, in 1944. Two years later, in 1946, she had a bitter court battle with her ex-husband regarding the custody of their young daughter. In 1948, ruling a daughter's place is with her mother, a judge awarded full custody to Jean. Sultry and statuesque, Jean, a divorced mother and nightclub dancer, struggled to make it as an actress; she was a bit player and uncredited extra in movies and early television. In 1949, she met Kirk Douglas on the set of Young Man with a Horn (1950), which was released February 9, 1950. On October 7, 1949, when she was 3 months pregnant, she disappeared. A note was found in her purse that read: "Kirk, Can't wait any longer. Going to see Dr. Scott. It will work best this way while mother is away." All the police found was her purse and this cryptic note -- Jean had vanished without a trace. Her disappearance is still an unsolved mystery.- D.K. Broster was born on 2 September 1877 in near Liverpool, Lancashire, England, UK. D.K. was a writer, known for The Flight of the Heron (1968) and The Flight of the Heron (1976). D.K. died on 7 February 1950 in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, England, UK.
- Courtney Terrett was born on 2 September 1903 in Miles City, Montana, USA. Courtney was a writer, known for The Famous Ferguson Case (1932), Reckless Living (1931) and Because of Love (1936). Courtney was married to Jeanie B.. Courtney died on 5 April 1950 in Oakland, California, USA.
- Eduard von und zu Liechtenstein was born on 2 September 1872 in Laibach, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire [now Baden-Württemberg, Germany]. He was an actor, known for Johann Strauß an der schönen blauen Donau (1913). He was married to Olga von Puckler und Limpurg. He died on 8 March 1951 in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
- Marie Ault was born on 2 September 1870 in Wigan, Lancashire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927), Fanny Hawthorne (1927) and Major Barbara (1941). She was married to James Alexander Paterson. She died on 9 May 1951 in London, England, UK.
- Robert Russell was born on 2 September 1897 in Virginia, USA. He was an actor, known for Tess of the Storm Country (1922), Into the Night (1928) and Caught (1915). He died on 1 June 1951 in California, USA.
- Additional Crew
- Art Director
- Set Decorator
E.R. "Ernie" Hickson grew up in Columbus, Ohio, where he was born on September 2, 1892, and began acting in high school, where he excelled at set design. He joined a theater troupe as a set designer and traveled throughout the United States with them. Reaching the West Coast in 1922, he sought employment in the movie business, earning his first (and only) credit as a screenwriter on "Western Days" (1924). The film was directed by John Ford's older brother, Francis Ford, who also had a co-starring role in the silent horse-opera.
Hickson's future was settled when he was hired by Trem Carr Productions in 1931. The production company belonged to B-movie impresario Trem Carr, an Illinois native who abandoned an early construction career for the movies in the mid-1920s. Carr subsequently entered into a partnership with W. Ray Johnston, another Midwest native, who distributed Carr's films through his Rayart Pictures Corp.
Carr and Johnston formed Syndicate Pictures in 1928, with Johnston as president and Carr as vice president. Syndicate specialized in low-budget B-Westerns, some of which starred Tom Tyler. Its first offering, The Chinatown Mystery (1928), featured Hickson's old mentor Francis Ford in an acting role. After turning out 14 pictures over three years, Syndicate was reorganized as Monogram Pictures in 1931, again with Johnston as president and Carr as production chief.
Carr took out a five-year lease on land in Placerita Canyon near Santa Clarita, CA, to shoot his westerns. A filming site frequently used by cowboy stars William S. Hart, Tom Mix and Harry Carey, Placerita Canyon had first been used as a location by Carr in 1926. Hickson, Carr's artistic director and set designer, built the sets at the location. A talented craftsman, Hickson was also a western history buff and collector. His knowledge of the Old West and his collection of Western memorabilia enhanced the verisimilitude of Carr's horse-operas. Using vintage lumber, Hickson built a western street with complete buildings featuring interiors rather than just facades.
Producer Paul Malvern worked at the location after he learned the business from Carr as a production manager. Hickson designed the sets for some of the low-budget oaters Malvern made for his Lone Star Productions, which were released through Monogram. Both the Monogram and Lone Star movies used writer-director Robert N. Bradbury, who frequently cast his son Bob Steele as the lead. The movies made at the canyon set made Steele a star in the B-Western movie genre and are available on DVD.
Another future star who got his start in a Lone Star production filmed at Placerita Canyon was Bob Steele's Glendale High School buddy Marion Morrison, who would go on to fame at Republic Pictures as John Wayne. Wayne appeared in many productions shot at the ranch from 1933 to 1935. Bill Bradbury, Steele's twin brother, dubbed Wayne's singing voice when he appeared as "Singing Sandy," the original singing movie cowboy. Stuntman Yakima Canutt, who lived in the area, was employed by the unit, as was George 'Gabby' Hayes.
Monogram had amassed a considerable film-processing debt at Consolidated Film Laboratories, which was owned by Herbert J. Yates. Knowing that Carr and Johnston wanted to expand their operation, and finding a novel way by which they could discharge the debt he owed them, Yates convinced another poverty-row producer, Mascot Pictures' Nat Levine, the creator of the singing cowboy genre, to join him in forming a new studio, to be called Republic Pictures Corp. The company was incorporated in 1935 through the merger of M.H. Hoffman's Liberty Pictures, Monogram Pictures, Levine's Mascot Pictures and Malvern's Lone Star Productions. Johnston was appointed president but Yates was actually in control. Johnston, who feuded with Yates from the beginning, was soon replaced by the more pliable Levine, who had brought Msscot, and future Republic, star Gene Autry to the new studio.
Autry's first movie lead was Tumbling Tumbleweeds (1935), which was shot primarily on the Placerita Canyon lot. By 1938 Autry was a big enough star to command $6,000 for the first two pictures and $10,000 for subsequent pictures in his annual contract. Johnston, who had had enough of Herbert Yates, left Republic in 1937 to restart his old studio as Monogram Productions Inc,, while Carr and Malvern had departed for Universal. Levine had been bought out for $1 million, which he lost at the racetrack within six weeks.
Hickson had acquired 10 acres of land to the west of the lot, and in 1936, upon the expiration of Carr's lease, it was decided to move the sets to a new location on Hickson's property. He used a team of horses to move the western buildings down a dirt road to the current location of Melody Ranch at Oak Creek and Placerita Canyon roads. The new set was approximately a half-mile from its former location. At the new lot Hickson created a self-contained western town with nine permanent homes, a bunkhouse and corrals for the crew and the wranglers and their horses, and a restaurant. He acquired more land and eventually expanded to 110 acres. In addition to the main street the lot featured a country schoolhouse, an Indian village, a Mexican street complete with hacienda, a pioneer settlement featuring a log cabin, a stage relay post, a trading post and an old-time store that could double as a drug store, general store or hardware store. There were also barns and corrals for the animals and to serve as sets. The production facilities provided to film crews included power, lights and cable. Hickson also supplied the producers with props to dress the sets.
In 1940 Carr had returned to Monogram as a studio executive. The Hickson ranch, now known as Monogram Ranch, served as Monogram's "home" studio, though other production companies, including Paramount, RKO and Republic, rented the facilities. Thirty movies were shot at the ranch in 91 working days during 1940, requiring 14,400 hours of set preparation and involving 7,000 movie company employees. The stars shooting there that year included William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy, singing cowboy Tex Ritter and John Wayne.
Sightseers were allowed to visit the ranch on Sundays, and 5,000 made the pilgrimage that year. In 1941 Hickson officially renamed the lot "Placeritos Ranch" after the local canyon. The lot was also used for shooting pictures other than westerns, including the Boris Karloff horror film The Ape (1940). The outdoors work for nine Monogram films featuring Bela Lugosi were shot at the ranch from 1941 to 1944.
Westerns continued to be the bread and butter at Monogram, however, and low-budget horse-operas were churned out with Buck Jones, Tim McCoy, Ken Maynard and Hoot Gibson. Former A-list actor Johnny Mack Brown was signed by Monogram in 1943 and made over 60 pictures in 10 years at Hickson's movie ranch. Brown became one of the top 10 money-making western stars at Monogram. Despite all this activity, though, Monogram's days were numbered.
After Trem Carr died in 1946, Steve Broidy took over and formed Allied Artists as a subsidiary to distribute the studio's more prestigious pictures. Low-budget production was terminated in 1952, and Monogram ceased to exist in 1953 when Broidy renamed the studio Allied Artists. By 1964 Allied Artists had left the West Coast for New York City.
Hickson himself died on January 22, 1952, but his ranch survived him and the death of the B-Western genre. Gene Autry, who had gone on to break the movie exhibitors' Top 10 list of biggest-box office attractions and was a multi-millionaire from his own Flying A Productions, radio show, traveling road show and top-10 recording career, bought the property from Hickson's widow, Bess, exactly a year later, on Jan. 22, 1953.
Autry renamed the property Melody Ranch, after one of his best-selling songs, and continued to run the property as a movie-making location. Two of Flying A's own television shows, Annie Oakley (1954) with Gail Davis and Buffalo Bill, Jr. (1955) with Dickie Jones, were filmed there, as was CBS' long-running Western TV series Gunsmoke (1955). The ranch also served as a pasture for Autry's famous movie horse, Champion.
Autry had planned to erect a western museum on the ranch to house his collection of Western artifacts, but a fire burned down part of the property on August 28, 1962. None of the ranch's employees or its horses were hurt, but many priceless artifacts were lost. Aury did eventually open his museum, called The Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage, in 1988 in Los Angeles' Griffith Park.
Among the films shot at Placerita Ranch/Monogram Ranch/Melody Ranch were My Little Chickadee (1940) with Mae West and W.C. Fields, Wichita (1955) with Joel McCrea and Last Man Standing (1987) with Bruce Willis. The ranch is now owned by Andre and Renaud Veluzat, who bought it in 1990 and continue to offer its facilities to production crews. HBO's series Deadwood (2004) is shot there. in 2004 the Santa Clarita Planning Commission approved plans for building a 45-foot-tall, 16,000-square-foot sound-stage at the ranch.