Today's opening was celebrated on the 106th anniversary of Joel McCrea's birth.
The McCrea Ranch is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was on this cattle ranch that Joel and Frances Dee McCrea lived and raised their three sons, working as ranchers and farmers when they weren't making movies. It's an oft-told anecdote that when Joel listed his occupation on his tax returns, he didn't fill in "actor," but "rancher."
The McCreas eventually sold off some parcels of the land, which formed a significant part of what is now the city of Thousand Oaks, and they donated other portions to various nonprofit groups such as the YMCA. 225 acres of the ranch were donated to the Conejo Recreation and Park District, which is working with the McCrea Ranch Foundation to preserve this remarkable slice of California ranching and film history.
Inside the Visitors Center, the McCreas' grandson Wyatt introduced the excellent movie which explains the ranch's background. Wyatt lives on the ranch and has been instrumental in leading the effort to restore and preserve the ranch for future generations.
The informational film is hosted by Bruce Boxleitner, a familiar face to TV Western fans (HOW THE WEST WAS WON). It includes home movie footage, with portions narrated by Joel's voice telling about his childhood.
I was quite impressed with what has been accomplished to date in terms of displays:
There are family photos throughout the center which give a glimpse of the McCreas' homey, simple life on the ranch. I was very taken with this photo of Frances and one of her sons, which hangs in the Visitors Center:
After the film and the tour of the center, birthday cake was served and there was time for a chat with Wyatt, who has inherited his grandfather's friendly and personable demeanor:
Scenes around the ranch:
I was told that in her later years, when navigating around the family home became more difficult, Frances Dee moved into the one-time bunkhouse, a small home which can be just glimpsed behind this carport. The McCreas may have been extremely wealthy, due to their careers and land investments, but they lived a very unpretentious lifestyle.
I remember in a wonderful interview with my friend Carrie, Peter McCrea recounted that Frances would take a bus into Los Angeles, where she volunteered at a soup kitchen. The McCreas opened their home to strangers, including soldiers Frances saw hitchhiking on Thanksgiving Eve, and they also took in countless animals in need, at one time caring for over two dozen cats! Some older local folks were at today's event and shared their memories of Joel's friendliness and good manners. (As a side note, it's rather wonderful that Joel shares his birthdate with another of the nicest men to ever appear in the movies, Roy Rogers.)
The Ranch gift shop had several nice items for sale to benefit the foundation, including T-shirts, notepads, buttons, and water bottles. I told Wyatt I believed there were many classic film fans across the country who would like to support the ranch by buying items from the shop, and he told me that at some point in the future items will be available for purchase online.
At present the Ranch is only open on special dates -- upcoming events at the Ranch include a screening of Joel and Frances in the marvelous FOUR FACES WEST (1948) on February 11, 2012 -- but as the Foundation expands, the hope is to bring additional buildings up to code for visitors and establish regular hours of operation which will give the public greater access.
Needless to say, I can't recommend strongly enough that fans of Joel McCrea and Frances Dee make it a point to visit the ranch at the earliest opportunity. I look forward to making return visits as more of the ranch becomes accessible to the public.
Recent local news articles on the ranch: "McCrea Ranch Visitor Center Completed" (Ventura County Star, September 9, 2011); "Late Movie Star's Pristine Ranch Preserved for Future Generations" (Thousands Oaks Acorn, August 18, 2011).
For more information, or to make tax-deductible donations, visit the Joel and Frances McCrea Ranch Foundation.
March 2013 Update: A Visit to the McCrea Ranch. An update and more photos!
February 2014 Update: THE MORE THE MERRIER (1943) at the McCrea Ranch.
2017 Update: A Visit to McCrea Ranch (and McCrea Blu-ray News!). Post includes links to a video interview with Wyatt McCrea and to a fellow blogger's post with photos of our latest visit to the ranch.
2019 Update: Here's an account of a new visit to the ranch for Classic Movie Hub.
You're right: that is a lovely picture of Frances with her son. What a memorable occasion this was. I enjoyed hearing your stories about what the McCreas were like. Seems like they were very kind, down-to-earth people. :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this description of your visit. Someday maybe I'll get there myself. I love Joel McCrea as an actor, and admire his productive life and contributions to his community.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing your day at the McCrea ranch with us, Laura. Sounds like a fascinating place to visit. I hope I can make it there one of these days. :)
ReplyDeleteMC
Now THAT'S a place I would LOVE to visit!
ReplyDeleteAs I've often said and thought, my one regret as regards the film "King Kong" is that Joel McCrea did not play Jack Driscoll (as he very easily could have; he was under contract to RKO at the time and DID star in "The Most Dangerous Game" which was shooting simltaneously with "Kong" and used the same sets and other actors!).....Bruce Cabot was good, but Joel McCrea would have been better.......
Thanks so much for this fabulous report. I feel like I've been there. And I really want to go again!!!
ReplyDeleteThe ranch/park is truly a breath of fresh air in an amazing Hollywood legacy. Thank you so much for sharing the experience, Laura. I now have another dream to fulfill.
ReplyDeleteLooks like it was a fun time! I can't wait to visit the ranch myself and take it in in person. The screening in February I think is going to be a must.
ReplyDeleteWhat an enjoyable recounting of your trip. Sounds like fun. You've given me another vacation idea.
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