Looking for a correct location when shooting a film or a series is crucial for its success. Sometimes, the only thing the viewers remember is the fantastic locations in the movie, Just like in the Western television series Bonanza (1959). Find out about the mesmerizing backgrounds, as we are here to discuss where was Bonanza filmed.
Bonanza is an American Western television series with fantastic characters and several other factors, making it a must-watch series. This Western TV series was undoubtedly the talk of the town in the early 60’s. Millions of people hooked up to their devices whenever this series was screened. The series stars Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, Michael Landon, Guy Williams, David Canary, Mitch Vogel and Victor Sen Yung.
The opening scene of Bonanza took place on Lake Hemetin Mountain Center, California. However, the series was set in the Ponderosa Ranch, near Lake Tahoe, in Nevada’s beautiful Virginia City.
But that’s not all; there is more exciting pre-production news that you might be interested in knowing if you are a true Bonanza fan. If you are one of them, then keep scrolling through the article.
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Where Was Bonanza Filmed? The Mesmerising Views Of Virginia City!
Talking about the filming location of Bonanza, some scenes of the series were shot in the Ponderosa Ranch near Lake Tahoe. At the same time, the other parts of the film were produced at the back lots of Paramount Studios in Hollywood. This means the Western streets you see in the series are not actual. The producers have curated the interior and exterior of the ranch in the studio. Including this, some shots of Ponderosa Ranch were incorporated into the series to give a real touch.
1. Ponderosa Ranch
The ranch that you see in the Bonanza series is for real. It is a 640,000 acres wide ranch located near Lake Tahoe’s shores. Here, you will also find a giant ranch house built in the middle of this incredible place. The atmosphere and the vibe of this ranch are electrifying. Unfortunately, the Ponderosa Ranch is not open for visitors now as it used to be a few years ago. The Ponderosa Ranch is bought by a real-estate developer, David Duffield, who bid on this mesmerizing location for $38 million.
2. Paramount Studios
As mentioned earlier, not all the locations in the series are real. Most of them are human-created. The scene where Cartwrights were riding horses against the picturesque mountains and pine trees was also handmade at Paramount Studios. This made the audience believe the filming was on the actual property.
The team behind Bonanza’s production was at their top game. They made every possible effort to show the shots outside Ponderosa Ranch as unique and out of the box. The team even collected and shipped pines to Hollywood to make the movie sites realistic. Moreover, they even planted pines every season to achieve that look.
Since the entire filming was not done at Ponderosa, the production team used painted backdrops and fake mountains to replicate the Ponderosa Ranch at Paramount Studios. However, the team took the production of the final seasons of Bonanza to Warner Bros studio.
The Plot Of Bonanza
The periodic drama Bonanza premiered on September 12, 1959, and its final episode on January 16, 1973. It has been a long time since the final episode of the Bonanza aired on screen. Yet, it has not stopped the entertainment industry from acknowledging the series as great. All the recognitions and awards the film has won till now clearly indicate its high ratings.
The Bonanza series centers around Ben Cartwright, a patriarch of an all-male Nevada ranching family. The series is set after the Civil War when a family owns a thousand-acre spread plot by the name of Ponderosa. Ben Cartwright has three sons from different mothers who are deceased. The eldest son, Adam, is pretty serious and wishes to move in the footsteps of his father. The second son, Hoss, is a gentleman with a highly built physique, while the youngest son, Little Joe, is an impulsive and romantic kind of person.
Final Words
In this blog, we have analyzed where Bonanza was filmed. This periodic drama series was not entirely shot at the Ponderosa ranch. However, a realistic replica of the ranch was curated by the production team at the Paramount Studios. The exact filming location of this series is mentioned in this blog. Also, you can review the storyline before binge-watching this series if you haven’t watched it yet. Please go through our website to learn more about filming locations of different films and series.
How big was the Ponderosa Ranch in Bonanza?
The Ponderosa Ranch shown in Bonanza is spread over 640,000 acres near Virginia City, Nevada.
What happened to Ben’s wife in Bonanza?
Ben has three wives: Elizabeth, Inger, and Marie. All three of his wives died at an early age. Elizabeth died during childbirth, Inger was shot by an Indian arrow, and Marie fell off the horse and was killed.
