April 13, 2017
Volume 47 - No. 15
McNally once was a popular route of the Butterfield Stage Line.
by lyle e davis
Many a star or celebrity has, or does live in Valley Center. A fact that is not well known. Herein, a look at the stars, past and present:
Earp died in 1929; McNally died in 1968.
Randolph Scott
Few actors are more identified with western movies than Randolph Scott. He made 102 motion pictures - most of them westerns and was a leading man in almost every one. His Valley Center ranch sprawled across several hundred acres overlooking Woods Valley where he raised cattle. Unlike many actors who lived here, Scott was active in the town's community life even when he was involved in motion picture production.
Randolph Scott tending his Herefords on his Valley Center Ranch
Fred Astaire’s House in Valley Center Benji Lived Here
The shaggy haired canine hero of eight "Benji" movies lived in Valley Center with his family which included Joe Camp, the writer and producer of the "Benji" series. Benji made his screen debut in 1974.
actor's initials o n c e appeared on the massive fireplace, and weste r n memoriabilita graced t h e room. A screened verandah s u r rounds the home whose other rooms are quite modest. The property, long known as "Rock Hill Ranch," sits amidst a 250-acre avocado grove.Gary Cooper
The Hacienda of June Allyson and Dick Powell
During WWII, unable to serve, he provided Marines at Camp Pendleton with pork and beef from his ranch. He died in 1967 at age 69. Fred Astaire
Entertainer Fred Astaire came to Valley Center about 1933 to visit and hunt with his friend Colonel M. James at James' historic 120-acre ranch, featuring an adobe home built in 1879. Astaire later purchased the property, raised two racing horses, and spent considerable time here when he retired from show business in 1946. He returned to film-making in 1948 and sold the ranch on Valley Center Road. Since about 1950, it has been known as Valley Stream Ranch (see above, right).
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The historic home has been owned since 1999 by Glen W. Bell, Jr., founder of Taco Bell, who also established Bell Gardens Farm in Valley Center. Gary Cooper's "Party House"
A dramatic 70-foot long living room with cathedral beam ceilings is the focal point of this house, built about 1940, and frequently referred to as Gary Cooper's "party house." The western
Obituaries Memorials Area Services Page 12
Steve Reeves: local rancher and international film star Steve Reeves From 1957 until his death in 2000, Steve
Reeves lived and raised horses in Valley Center. He was pleased that citizens showed an interest in his career, but never intruded on his privacy. During 1959-61, he was the Number 1 box office star in America, ahead of Doris Day and John Wayne.
Motion picture stars June Allyson and Dick Powell commissioned famed architect Clifford May to design their Valley Center hacienda in 1945. The home is one of two in Valley Center designed by May, creator of the California Spanishstyle ranch house.
Allyson and Powell appeared in dozens of popular movies in the 1940s and 1950s including "Reformer and the Redhead" (MGM). Portions of that film were said to have been filmed at the Valley Center estate, but were not included in the final film.
Wyatt Earp during a visit to Valley Center
John Wayne's Favorite Riding Trail
Gary Cooper
Wyatt Earp in Valley Center
The legendary folk hero of the old west, Wyatt Earp, photographed about 1926, when he was a regular visitor to the Valley Center home of his niece, Peggy McNally. She was said to be as colorful a character as was her uncle. In 1920, she built a large adobe house on a 310-acre site. The home still stands on McNally Road, part of the Stehly Ranch.
Valley Center - BHollywood East Continued on Page 2