MovieChat Forums > Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1964) Discussion > Which base in California?

Which base in California?

posted 14 years ago by All_Sufficiency
10 replies | jump to latest

Does the show ever tell which base and city the show is supposed to be set in California? The filming location is interesting, but what do they actually say on the show itself? Thanks.

[–] kwarwood 14 years ago

The fictional base in California was Camp Henderson. The opening credits with Gomer marching with all the marines was filmed at Camp Pendleton near San Diego. The exteriors of the base (barracks, etc.) were filmed on the same lot which was the home to the town of Mayberry and Stalag 13 (in Hogan's Heroes). It was called Forty Acres and was located in Culver City, CA. It was the old Selznick International lot and was where Gone With the Wind was filmed and was the locale for such sets at the Tara mansion (dismantled in 1959) and the Atlanta train depot (where Scarlett walks among the thousands of wounded). The train depot set was destroyed by fire in 1971. Interesting trivia is that the set for Atlanta in Gone With the Wind was transformed into the town of Mayberry 20 years later. Unfortunately, Forty Acres was bulldozed to the ground in 1976

[–] screenscreams 14 years ago

They say Camp Henderson on the show..I'm guessing it's based on Camp Pendleton.

[–] ridgerunner72160-609-362419 14 years ago

I would think so too. I remember an episode where they had sent Sgt. Carter to Hollywood on a recruiting drive. Gomer ends up visiting Sgt. Carter and then recruits a bank robber into the Marines. And it obviously was a short drive from the base. So it was somewhere in southern California.

[–] amazon423 13 years ago

The opening scene at the main gate was MCRD aka Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Barnett Avenue in San Diego. I don't know where the rest of the exterior scenes were filmed at.That is what the old Marines here in San Diego tell me.

[–] ridgerunner72160-609-362419 13 years ago

Thanks for the info Amazon423. I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of the exterior scenes were filmed in that same area too. However, I'm sure things have changed quite a bit since the late mid and late '60s around that area.

[–] amazon423 13 years ago

I visited that base in 1967 when my Brigadier General uncle and aunt took us to lunch at the officers' club. When I went back when my son graduated from boot camp in 2001 I did not recognize the place. They had added practically a whole new building to the Officers' CLub. several new barracks, a new commandant's house and changed the street from the south side of the parade deck to the north side of same. I also have a post card from around 1930 when there was practically nothing between MCRD and downtown San Diego. I do not remember any quonset huts though. The ones they used in Heartbreak Ridge and Gomer Pyle were in Area 62 or near there on the north end of Camp Pendleton. One interesting thing about Jim Nabors and his voice though is when I saw him in Tahoe it was the first night and he practically blasted out the sound system. He put on a good show including outtakes from the show.

[–] ridgerunner72160-609-362419 13 years ago

I can imagine him on that sound system. Jim Nabors had an amazing singing voice. Apparently he had terrific range both speaking and singing. I remember one particularly funny episode of The Andy Griffith Show where Gomer and Barney go to Mount Pilot to try to get the distributors of a product called Miracle Salve to buy the product back from Opie and his friends, who are trying to sell the stuff all over town. Barney poses as a veterinarian and Gomer pretends to be 'Opie Taylor, Sr.'. Gomer changes his speaking voice to a deep baritone, instead of the goofy high pitched one he usually has...LOL. Also, I remember how amazed Sgt. Carter was when the Marine Corps have a talent contest and Gomer shows off his terrific singing voice.

[–] amazon423 13 years ago

They had brought a new Marine to the base who knew how to teach singing and the whole base was amazed at Pyle's voice. That was a memorable episode.

[–] ridgerunner72160-609-362419 13 years ago

LOL...I remember both Sgt. Carter and Hacker, who were always competing with each other, were especially amazed too.

[–] crockett_john 12 years ago

There are some quonset huts at MCRD San Diego. I think there's about eight of them. They're pretty close to the confidence course.

The parade deck looks the same to me as it does in the opening credits of the show. The last time I was there was a month or two ago. I go there every few months or so.

If you've ever seen the movie "Gung Ho" about the Makin Island Raid, you can see a lot of MCRD in the movie, too, including the base theater. That movie was filmed in 1942.

There's also a silent movie from 1926 that has a lot of familiar places. I think it was called, "Tell it to the Marines" with Lon Chaney.