Friday, January 1, 2016

The Rockford Files - Episode: Coulter City Wildcat (1976) Gilbertson's Oil Tool Works Sign - Santa Paula, CA


This is one we need help with. The Internet is void of any information of Gilbertson's Oil Tool Works. Based on the information contained on IMDB.com this large sign may have been in the city of Santa Paula, CA since part of this episode was filmed there.
Does anybody have any idea where the "Gilbertson's Oil Tool Works" corporation is or was located?

Thanks to Don H. we have the correct address for this filming location. Don's full e-mail was placed in the comment section. A big THANK YOU to DON H!
GILBERTSON OIL TOOL WORKS
17905 E TELEGRAPH RD
SANTA PAULA, CA 93061-0009
at

8 comments:

  1. FROM THE E-MAIL:July 31, 2011 at 9:19 AM

    Hi: I've been enjoying your Rockford locations blog. I found something on Gilbertson Oil Tool Works:

    http://www.partslogistics.com/dig/company_name/pages/9871.html

    scroll down a bit to:

    GILBERTSON OIL TOOL WORKS
    17905 E TELEGRAPH RD
    SANTA PAULA, CA 93061-0009

    You can put the address in Google Maps.

    A large white building similar to what is seen in the screenshot is still there, but without the large sign atop the building. Hope this helps. :-)

    Don H.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousDecember 14, 2011 at 7:36 PM

    Gilbertson's Oil Tool Works is indeed in Santa Paula and was owned by my grandfather, Jack Gilbertson. It began in the 1920s under another owner to manufacture equipment needed for the local oil industry, which at that time was significant. (Union Oil was founded in Santa Paula and the California Oil Museum now occupies that company's first building.) Gilbertson's went out of business in the 1990s. The large white buildings Don H. notes are the original corrugated metal buildings that have been painted.
    Craig A.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousDecember 14, 2011 at 7:42 PM

    I should add that the Rockford photo is taken from the west side of Gilbertson's looking toward the east. The Google photo shows that the cinder block wall has disappeared -- it would have been at the left edge of the Google photo -- but the oak tree is still very much there.

    ReplyDelete
  4. TheRockfordFilesDecember 14, 2011 at 9:39 PM

    Thanks Craig for that information.... I deeply appreciate it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJune 9, 2015 at 9:46 AM

    The cinderblock wall is indeed still there. They've erected a building next to the hotel. The wall has been painted white but has the tell tale X decoration on it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJune 20, 2020 at 2:07 PM

    Slightly off the subject can any oil person explain the intricate plot of that episode how rocky can sell the lease and make $2,000 but still own something and why the broker was killed and why the Wesco employe didn't just pay someone for the rights by legal or illegal means.. not to mention the idea of selling the lottery win of a parcel back to the big oil companies and a little more explanation of how the oil drill got put on the land but the comments were it's too old and dry to be in use so many questions... and don't forget the PO Box in Coulter City 4 Rocky are we to assume that that was used to intercept documents and Forge them

    ReplyDelete
  7. MoiDecember 9, 2022 at 2:55 PM


    Where is the cafe that advertises
    "Home Made Pies" ?

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousMarch 9, 2023 at 12:22 PM

    The show actually tips us where it was. When Jim and Rocky find the dead guy the police answering the call have the Santa Paula police logo on the side.

    ReplyDelete