Ross Schnioffsky is a retired research librarian from Melbourne, Australia who has a life long love of American Westerns. No, we mean he REALLY loves the westerns and for nearly 20 years has flown from Australia to Southern California to teach, and the learn about the old films.

He and fellow Aussie Warren Davey, have traveled to the Lone Pine Film Festival each October. The Film Festival is put on by the Museum of Western Film History.  The unique event showcases The Alabama Hills where many of the early westerns were filmed because of the unique rock formations. Starting in the 1920’s this became one of the big back lots for Hollywood directors. Says Ross  “The reason that I like the westerns is they’re great morality tales — a great sense of what’s right and what’s wrong.” Ross and Warren fondly remember their first trip to “The Rocks,” and now do seminars and tours at the film festival.  You can learn more about Warren in our short video “The Lone Pine Aussies.”