“Cowboy” Walter Cameron owned Ben Hur Stables, which occupied the southwest corner of Overland and Jefferson from 1922 until Cameron’s death in 1942. His property across the street stored stagecoaches and other rigs. Cameron is said to have made a comfortable living by supplying horses, burros and equipment for movies. He lived on the property and his sister, Mrs. E. Briggs, took care of the house.

When Walter Cameron decided to work a little less, he sold the property across from the stables to Metro- Goldwyn Mayer, and it became part of their largest backlot, Lot #6, The stables, now Raintree Plaza, was eventually acquired by MGM to store their movie vehicles. It was Lot #5 until its sale in the 1970s.

In a 1933 newspaper article, Ben Hur Stables was dubbed “The Stables of History.” It described a variety of vehicles and horse gear for rent. In saddles alone, there were authentic padded ones of the hardriding Cossacks, silver adorned Navajo saddles, U.S. trappings of the Civil War period and one rumored to be a favorite of Rudolph Valentino. But the one that hung below a faded Mexican serape in a storeroom carried the most interesting history. The hand-tooled Mexican saddle with hammered silver ornaments was part of the ransom paid to Pancho Villa for the release of General Luis Torres, has been exhibited in the Smithsonian Institute.

What most do not realize, is that Walter Cameron could be called the first movie star. Cameron played the sheriff in “The Great Train Robbery,” which is credited as the first movie with a “plot.” His service as a U.S. Marshal in Oklahoma helped him get the part. For the role of the star of the 1903 motion picture, Cameron said he received $35 in pay from the Edison Company, which produced the endeavor near Peterson, New Jersey. The movie was filmed in 5 days. From his accounts, he said he also moved the camera, picked up props, and swept the floor! He participated in the forerunner of motion picture “chases.” Cameron stated in a 1938 article, that the producer-director, Edwin S. Porter, also used a “close up” shot, then a novelty. The New York based Edison Company rented the train from the Lackawanna Railroad for $45, which brought the movie’s budget up to $2,000. This movie “thriller,” even had a stunt shot of a dummy falling out of the train.

Walter Cameron retired from the movies in 1922 to establish his stables, which supplied his “range critters” for movies from “Ben Hur” to “Gone With The Wind.” A veteran of 200+ films, Cameron later acted as an advisor, and was seen in an occasional role.

Paul Pitti remembers accompanying his performer father, Bennie Pitti, to visit Cameron at Ben Hur Stables. Paul played on the stagecoaches and his brother Carl (later a stuntman) rode horses there. Asked how they knew each other, Paul responded “through the studios—All the cowboys knew each other.” Cameron friends like the Pittis, Will Rogers, William S. Hart and Tom Mix often relaxed at the stables.