Movie Ranch Owner Directing Its Finale

One look at the title of “Motorcycle Cheerleading Mamas” reveals that it is not aspiring to a place in the classic film canon.

But the Iverson Movie Location Ranch, where it will wrap up a nine-day shoot Sunday, is steeped in cinema history.

More than 2,000 films have been made there, including “Ben Hur” and the epic “Stagecoach.” Western-themed television shows such as “Gunsmoke” and “The Lone Ranger” also came to life at the ranch, which sits on a rocky plot near the intersection of Topanga Canyon Boulevard and the Ronald Reagan Freeway.

“Motorcycle Cheerleading Mamas” stands out among Iverson productions because it is directed by Iverson heir and current ranch owner Bob Sherman. The director, who has lived at the ranch from early childhood, says it will likely be the last film shot on the site due to its pending sale.

Sherman said he decided to sell the property because noise from encroaching development in Chatsworth started to disrupt productions. He hopes to open a similar operation in Costa Rica.

“He has seen so many directors roll through here that he finally said, ‘I’ve always wanted to direct,’ ” recalled producer Mark Headley. “We had cheerleaders, we had motorcycles, we had equipment. So we decided, ‘Let’s do it.”’

Headley describes the $15,000 film as a “slapstick tribute to the biker films of the ‘50s and ‘60s.” It “stars” Martin Sheen’s brother Joe Estevez and Robert Mitchum’s son Chris Mitchum. Former “Diff’rent Strokes” star Dana Plato was billed in early publicity but backed out due to a scheduling conflict.

Headley, a veteran of dozens of “no-budget” action and horror films, said Sherman’s involvement makes the project a worthy finale to a memorable era.

“Westerns are just so expensive to shoot anymore,” he said.

Added Sherman: “I went out with this film because I wanted to be able to sell it when I was done.”