Hidden History of Hollywood West: Ojai and Ventura County’s Classic Movie Locations

Sunday, November 5 at 4 PM
in the Raymund Room

Ever since French director Gaston Melies shot his 1912 Western short, The Ghost of Sulphur Mountain in the Ojai Road/Santa Paula area, Ventura County has been a popular destination for filmmakers. Harry Medved, spokesperson for The Cinema Foundation and coauthor of Hollywood Escapes and Location Filming in Los Angeles, will reveal the rich history of our most popular locations including 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), and Ojai (Pat & Mike, Easy A). Rarely seen photos and film clips will accompany the lecture.

A Southern California native, Harry Medved served as the PR lead for Fandango, Yahoo!, Warner Bros. Online and the Screen Actors Guild. Currently he serves as the spokesperson for The Cinema Foundation, part of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO). 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, Location Filming in Los Angeles, and Hollywood Escapes. He lives in the Ventura County area with his wife Michele and family.