One of my first assignments as the area’s state film commissioner in 1987 involved driving the actor-producer Robert Conrad around the entire circuit of Lake Tahoe looking for locations to use in his television series High Mountain Rangers(originally titled High Sierra Rangers). While Bob bore some of the tough-guy persona found in his shows like Black Sheep Squadron, he also came off as a friendly, easy-going guy who knew how to use charm and warmth to get what he needed. He got tremendous cooperation from the U.S. Forest Service for his show (mostly using buildings at Camp Richardson’s Valhalla site), plus worked well with staff from Nevada State Parks. He considered himself a local since he had a home in Bear Valley, and he loved showcasing the Reno-Tahoe region in several of his projects like Sworn to Vengeance.
