Got to spend the weekend up in Lake Tahoe with family. Tahoe is a large high mountain lake that straddles the border between California and Nevada. It’s mean level is 6225 feet (1898 meters) above sea level. I’m a sea level sort of guy, which meant the first evening I was up there I was sort of dopey from the altitude– Caught myself several times staring off into the distance, which is sort of rude when you’re mid-conversation with somebody. After I regained my senses a bit I spent a bit of time sightseeing and keeping the local economy alive by losing money into progressive slot machines.

The second night I was there I was the recipient of a happy coincidence: AMC was running a Godfather marathon, and I was lucky enough to catch the end of The Godfather (Part I, 1972) just before bed. I sat up for another hour or so and watched the beginning of The Godfather: Part II (1974), marveling at the elegance of the Corleone family compound, just down the lake shore from the time-share condo we were lodged.

Actually no. Lake Tahoe used to have several interesting connections to show biz. All gone.

The first was the fact the entire northeast corner of Lake Tahoe, from Spooner Lake all the way to the north end, was once part of the mammoth and fictional Ponderosa Ranch, the stomping grounds of the Cartwright family on TV’s “Bonanza” which ran in glorious color from 1959 to 1973.

Most of the show was produced in backlots in Hollywood, but they would occasionally come up to the lake to shoot scenes, on standing sets erected near Incline Village. After the show’s run, a Ponderosa Ranch theme park opened up where the standing sets were.

About fifteen years ago, my wife (who watched the show) persuaded me to go check it out. I suppose it was great: I have never, to this very day, seen an entire episode of “Bonanza.” I’ve attended theme parks where I didn’t agree with the theme: Yes, I’ve been to the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace. But at least  knew who Nixon was. The Ponderosa may have well have been the museum of Zoroastrianism. Still, it was a nice day when I visited and I got some fresh mountain air and exercise.

About the time “Bonanza” was wrapping up, Francis Ford Coppola had scouted a location for a large part of the second Godfather movie. It was Fleur du Lac, a huge private compound on the California side of the lake just north of Emerald Bay built by aluminum magnate Henry J. Kaiser.

Anyone who has seen the film remembers the distinctive look of Michael Corleone’s home: the native creek stone walls, the rustic Craftsman-style paned windows , the elaborate band shell on the lake, the cavernous stone boathouse. Watching the film in bed up in Tahoe I noticed something new: some of the metal grillworks on the outside of the main house were crafted to resemble giant spider webs. I can’t help but wonder if these were art department additions, to visually reinforce a theme of some sort.

And of course, you can’t look out over Lake Tahoe without thinking about poor Fredo.

But Fleur du Lac is no more. Shortly after filming wrapped on Part II, the entire compound was torn down, cleared out for new millionaire condos. And the Ponderosa Ranch theme park closed in 1994.

The reasons both of these are gone: the land near Lake Tahoe is just too valuable now. If you’re visiting California, Lake Tahoe is still worth the trip up to the Sierras (just take it easy on the progressive slots), but if you’re a film buff it’s best to remember it as it was.

–Skot C.

Addenda: At the time-share in Tahoe the local TV channels originate in Reno, Nevada. The local Fox affiliate KRXI airs the Comedy Central parody cop-show “Reno 911!” late at night. I’ve always wondered what the folks in Reno thought of the show. I’m guessing they consider it a reality show. –s

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008 at 9:15 am and is filed under Ancilliaries, General, Hosts, Motion Pictures, Television. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.