Tom Mix, a
popular and enduring star of early western films, was famous for trick riding,
fancy stunts, and flashy clothes. He started his career with Selig-Polyscope,
was taken over by William Fox in 1917, was picked up by FBO (a precursor to RKO)
in 1928, and made the jump to "talkies" with Universal in the 1930's.
In her memoir The Fabulous Tom Mix, his wife recalls Mixville:
When Tom reigned as William Fox's biggest star in the postwar [World War I] period, he had an even more elaborate organization for the production of his pictures than with Selig. Production activities were carried on at a special studio lot covering twelve acres of ground near Edendale, California. This home of Tom's Fox pictures was appropriately called Mixville. Tom was undisputed "King of Mixville," just as he was the king of the screen cowboys.
Many of the interior scenes were made at Mixville. Almost everything pertaining to the Old West could be found tucked away somewhere in this unique little settlement; indeed, the vast lot was a miniature West in itself. There was a complete frontier town, with a dusty street, hitching rails, a saloon, Jail, bank, doctor's office, surveyor's office, and the simple frame houses typical of the early Western era. Only the signs on the buildings were changed from picture to picture, and some rearrangement of the furnishings.
There was an Indian village with several lodges nestled in a flat piece of land at the rear of the lot. From the range of plaster-of-Paris mountains surrounding the village Tom led many a convincing attack on a tribe of warriors, the whole thing looking ferociously real when the picture reached the screen.
There was a plot of simulated desert too, through which Tom and Tony wandered on many an occasion on their search for the "bad man"; for although Tom preferred actual locations, the Fox executives always held the budget over his head.
Among other things at Mixville there were a ranch house, sans any
ceiling of course, a corral that would hold a hundred horses, and a great
barnlike structure to hold props, such as saddles, uniforms, guns, and various
items of furniture that conformed to the Old West tradition.
In the photo above, Tom is shown on his original horse Old Blue, who was buried on the Mixville lot. Tom's most famous horse was Tony, who trusted Tom to do any stunt. Reportedly, Tom would talk to Tony and explain each stunt ahead of time, and then they would just do it. The photo of Tom Mix at the right is thought to be one taken at Mixville circa 1919-20, with one of Tony's doubles.
Excerpt from The Fabulous Tom Mix, by Olive Stokes Mix with Eric Heath (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1957). (Source: http://www.cinemaweb.com/silentfilm/bookshelf/33_mix07.htm)
Extensive bio and photos found on The Old Corral (Source: http://www.surfnetinc.com/chuck/tommix.htm)