Bronson Canyon

Bronson Canyon, or Bronson Caves, is a section of Griffith Park in Los Angeles that has become known as a filming location for many films and television series, especially Westerns and science fiction, from the early days of motion pictures to the present. Its craggy and remote-looking setting, but easily accessible location, has made it a prime choice for filmmakers, particularly of low-budget films, who want to place scenes in a lonely wilderness.

The East Portal

Location and history

Bronson Canyon is located in the southwest section of Griffith Park, and thus is easily accessible from Hollywood.

In 1903, the Union Rock Company founded a quarry, originally named Brush Canyon, for excavation of crushed rock used in the construction of city streets. The quarry ceased operation in the late 1920s, leaving the caves behind. The caves became known as the Bronson Caves after a nearby street, giving the area its more popular name of Bronson Canyon (the same street indirectly provided the stage name for actor Charles Bronson, who chose the name of the Bronson Gate at Hollywood's Paramount Studios, which in turn derived its name from Bronson Ave).

Scenes of the main cave entrance are normally filmed in a manner that shows the entrance at an angle because the cave is actually a very short tunnel through the hill, with the rear opening easily visible in a direct shot. The most well-known appearance of the tunnel entrance is likely its use as the entrance to the Batcave in the 1966–68 Batman television series.[1] Because the "cave" was actually a tunnel, it was possible to film the car shooting out of the entrance at high speed.

Media filmed or set in the canyon

Films
* "Raise the Titanic" (1980)
The West Portal that was used as the entrance to the Batcave in the 1960s TV series Batman

TV series

Novels

Music Videos
  • Modern World, Collapsing Scenery (2018)
  • More Dead, Death Valley Girls (2018)
  • Easier, 5 Seconds of Summer (2019)

See also
  • Vasquez Rocks, another Los Angeles County landmark used as a location in numerous films and television episodes

References
  1. "Supermobile" Face Off, Season 3, Episode 5. Syfy, September 18, 2012.
  2. Rothel, David (1991). Ambush of Ghosts: A Guide to Great Western Film Locations. Madison, WI: Empire Publishing. pp. 39, 150–55. ISBN 978-0-944019-10-8.
  3. Cowan, Jared (February 4, 2016). "Your Complete Guide to the L.A. Filming Locations of Hail, Caesar!". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved 2016-02-06.

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