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Mescal movie set was widely used
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| The History Channel filmed at the Old West set recently. (Terri Jo Neff/photo.) |
Terri Jo Neff
For the News-Sun
From the 1970s to the mid-1990s, the movie-making business was very good at the Mescal movie set.
Located on 60 acres five miles north of Interstate 10 off Mescal Road, the set has been involved in many of America's best-known western movies.
But in recent years, most production companies have gone to Canada and New Mexico to film old-west themed works.
Tax breaks and other incentives (including financing) are usually given as the reason for this. But some people familiar with the Mescal set believe the condition of the buildings and a lack of strong marketing are also key reasons why no major budget movie has filmed here since 1994.
The Mescal set is part of Old Tucson Company, which also owns the Old Tucson Studio & Theme Park west of Tucson.
The Mescal set was originally built in 1968 for the movie Monte Walsh starring Lee Marvin and Jack Palance. Other buildings have been added over the years.
Western classics like The Outlaw-Josey Wales and The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean made a name for Mescal, boosting revenue and wages to the greater-Benson area.
In 1985, real estate mogul Don Diamond and two partners bought Old Tucson Studios, which sit on Pima County land. They also purchased the lease rights to the Mescal set which is on Arizona State Trust Land.
A few years later, Diamond and his partners sold the company to several of their children. Diamond's daughter Helaine Levy has been president of Old Tucson Company for several years.
Movie-making continued to flourish in the years after the sale. From 1989-1991, the television series The Young Riders filmed at Mescal. This was followed by major motion pictures like Tombstone, Lightning Jack and finally The Quick and the Dead in 1994 starring Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman.
Then in April 1995, a fire at Old Tucson Studios destroyed or damaged many of the buildings including the soundstage. Hundreds of props, artifacts and movie memorabilia were also destroyed.
As film production came to a crawl at that set (arson is suspected but no arrests have been made), things also slowed down at Mescal. Although the pilot for the series The Magnificent Seven was partially filmed at Mescal in 1997 and 1998, subsequent episodes filmed primarily in California.
A made-for-television movie, Buffalo Soldiers starring Danny Glover, also filmed at Mescal in 1997, which is considered by many locals to be the last movie of any significance to be filmed there.
(Since the late 1990s, the owners of Old Tucson Company and Pima County have had well-publicized differences about operation of that site and monies owed to Pima County. And there still is no soundstage for use by production companies.
The lease rights for the Mescal set are not involved in those disputes. according to Cochise County officials, all tax bills for the Mescal set properties are paid in full.)
A few low-budget movies and commercials have been filmed at the Mescal set over the last decade, but nothing on the scale of what Mescal saw up to 1994.
Ghost Rock with Gary Busey was filmed in 2002, but the movie was never shown in theaters and just got released direct-to-video. Day of Redemption starring Jeff Fahey also filmed at Mescal but has not been released, according to producer David Lee Rawlings of Tucson.
The lack of major filmmaking surprises Thadd Turner, executive producer of Treasure of Seven Mummies, which just completed a three-week shoot at the set. "Production costs are pretty reasonable in southern Arizona," says Turner. "There's a pool of experienced actors, stunt people and crew members in this area. Several old-west re-enactors and stuntmen have their own outfits, weapons and horses, which makes casting and wardrobing cheaper and easier."
Lorene Whaley, of the Horseshoe Restaurant and Lounge, noted that for many years the local economy benefited from filmmaking at Mescal. "There were always crews around," said Whaley. "We even rented out our restaurant to one director who wanted to film inside. It would be great to see something done to bring the movie-making business back to our area."
But some members of the Treasure of Seven Mummies crew who had worked before at the Mescal set expressed shock at its current condition. "It looked old back then, but it sure wasn't falling apart," notes actor and stuntman Forrie J. Smith, who worked on the sets of Young Riders and Lightning Jack. "It was nothing like it is now, with things so unstable and rundown."
Old Tucson Studios staff confirmed that two buildings fell down in recent months. And while on public tours, visitors can see many rotted roofs, floors and balconies.
Many of the structures require bolstering before people or equipment can be put in them. The crew of Treasure of Seven Mummies kept a pile of wood planks on hand for shoring up supports.
Pete Mangelsdorf, General Manager of Old Tucson Company, says production companies are normally responsible for any modifications or repairs needed.
"One production company may want a rundown old west town, while the next crew wants a new-looking town," notes Mangelsdorf. "We leave the set alone and allow each production company to set it up as they need."
Mangelsdorf points out that recent successful westerns such as Open Range are creating renewed interest in old-west stories which waned in the late 1990s.
"We've seen the numbers pick up," says Mangelsdorf, "and we're actively marketing our film production opportunities."
The set is also available for commercial shoots as well as magazine and catalog spreads. Turner, who hopes to film a second movie at Mescal later this year, explained that it's not that inconvenient to fly or drive crews and equipment from Hollywood.
"Arizona really is an affordable place for production companies," says Turner. "There's a lot of experience around here, it's a right-to-work state and the Arizona Film Commission is wonderful to work with."
Last fall, Old Tucson Studios partnered with the Greater Tucson Economic Council in an effort to improve film production options in southern Arizona. "More film-making opportunities at Old Tucson Studios will definitely have a positive effect at Mescal," explains Mangelsdorf, as crews usually wish to utilize both sets.
He also noted that in recent years more hotels have opened around Benson, making the area more attractive to production crews who previously commuted from Tucson.
For over 35 years, the Mescal set has been an important part of American film history. There's no guarantee the current owners of Old Tucson Company will have success in reviving interest in southeastern Arizona film-making.
But there are many people who hope Mangelsdorf and his staff can pull off the revival.
"Mescal was a great place to work," says actor and stuntman Grant Wheeler, a veteran of several productions and a member of the Screen Actors Guild. "But we have to go where the work is, and it hasn't been here for quite awhile."
For information on public tours of the Mescal set, contact the site caretaker at 586-2201 or Old Tucson Studios at 520-883-0100.
For the News-Sun
From the 1970s to the mid-1990s, the movie-making business was very good at the Mescal movie set.
Located on 60 acres five miles north of Interstate 10 off Mescal Road, the set has been involved in many of America's best-known western movies.
But in recent years, most production companies have gone to Canada and New Mexico to film old-west themed works.
Tax breaks and other incentives (including financing) are usually given as the reason for this. But some people familiar with the Mescal set believe the condition of the buildings and a lack of strong marketing are also key reasons why no major budget movie has filmed here since 1994.
The Mescal set is part of Old Tucson Company, which also owns the Old Tucson Studio & Theme Park west of Tucson.
The Mescal set was originally built in 1968 for the movie Monte Walsh starring Lee Marvin and Jack Palance. Other buildings have been added over the years.
Western classics like The Outlaw-Josey Wales and The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean made a name for Mescal, boosting revenue and wages to the greater-Benson area.
In 1985, real estate mogul Don Diamond and two partners bought Old Tucson Studios, which sit on Pima County land. They also purchased the lease rights to the Mescal set which is on Arizona State Trust Land.
A few years later, Diamond and his partners sold the company to several of their children. Diamond's daughter Helaine Levy has been president of Old Tucson Company for several years.
Movie-making continued to flourish in the years after the sale. From 1989-1991, the television series The Young Riders filmed at Mescal. This was followed by major motion pictures like Tombstone, Lightning Jack and finally The Quick and the Dead in 1994 starring Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman.
Then in April 1995, a fire at Old Tucson Studios destroyed or damaged many of the buildings including the soundstage. Hundreds of props, artifacts and movie memorabilia were also destroyed.
As film production came to a crawl at that set (arson is suspected but no arrests have been made), things also slowed down at Mescal. Although the pilot for the series The Magnificent Seven was partially filmed at Mescal in 1997 and 1998, subsequent episodes filmed primarily in California.
A made-for-television movie, Buffalo Soldiers starring Danny Glover, also filmed at Mescal in 1997, which is considered by many locals to be the last movie of any significance to be filmed there.
(Since the late 1990s, the owners of Old Tucson Company and Pima County have had well-publicized differences about operation of that site and monies owed to Pima County. And there still is no soundstage for use by production companies.
The lease rights for the Mescal set are not involved in those disputes. according to Cochise County officials, all tax bills for the Mescal set properties are paid in full.)
A few low-budget movies and commercials have been filmed at the Mescal set over the last decade, but nothing on the scale of what Mescal saw up to 1994.
Ghost Rock with Gary Busey was filmed in 2002, but the movie was never shown in theaters and just got released direct-to-video. Day of Redemption starring Jeff Fahey also filmed at Mescal but has not been released, according to producer David Lee Rawlings of Tucson.
The lack of major filmmaking surprises Thadd Turner, executive producer of Treasure of Seven Mummies, which just completed a three-week shoot at the set. "Production costs are pretty reasonable in southern Arizona," says Turner. "There's a pool of experienced actors, stunt people and crew members in this area. Several old-west re-enactors and stuntmen have their own outfits, weapons and horses, which makes casting and wardrobing cheaper and easier."
Lorene Whaley, of the Horseshoe Restaurant and Lounge, noted that for many years the local economy benefited from filmmaking at Mescal. "There were always crews around," said Whaley. "We even rented out our restaurant to one director who wanted to film inside. It would be great to see something done to bring the movie-making business back to our area."
But some members of the Treasure of Seven Mummies crew who had worked before at the Mescal set expressed shock at its current condition. "It looked old back then, but it sure wasn't falling apart," notes actor and stuntman Forrie J. Smith, who worked on the sets of Young Riders and Lightning Jack. "It was nothing like it is now, with things so unstable and rundown."
Old Tucson Studios staff confirmed that two buildings fell down in recent months. And while on public tours, visitors can see many rotted roofs, floors and balconies.
Many of the structures require bolstering before people or equipment can be put in them. The crew of Treasure of Seven Mummies kept a pile of wood planks on hand for shoring up supports.
Pete Mangelsdorf, General Manager of Old Tucson Company, says production companies are normally responsible for any modifications or repairs needed.
"One production company may want a rundown old west town, while the next crew wants a new-looking town," notes Mangelsdorf. "We leave the set alone and allow each production company to set it up as they need."
Mangelsdorf points out that recent successful westerns such as Open Range are creating renewed interest in old-west stories which waned in the late 1990s.
"We've seen the numbers pick up," says Mangelsdorf, "and we're actively marketing our film production opportunities."
The set is also available for commercial shoots as well as magazine and catalog spreads. Turner, who hopes to film a second movie at Mescal later this year, explained that it's not that inconvenient to fly or drive crews and equipment from Hollywood.
"Arizona really is an affordable place for production companies," says Turner. "There's a lot of experience around here, it's a right-to-work state and the Arizona Film Commission is wonderful to work with."
Last fall, Old Tucson Studios partnered with the Greater Tucson Economic Council in an effort to improve film production options in southern Arizona. "More film-making opportunities at Old Tucson Studios will definitely have a positive effect at Mescal," explains Mangelsdorf, as crews usually wish to utilize both sets.
He also noted that in recent years more hotels have opened around Benson, making the area more attractive to production crews who previously commuted from Tucson.
For over 35 years, the Mescal set has been an important part of American film history. There's no guarantee the current owners of Old Tucson Company will have success in reviving interest in southeastern Arizona film-making.
But there are many people who hope Mangelsdorf and his staff can pull off the revival.
"Mescal was a great place to work," says actor and stuntman Grant Wheeler, a veteran of several productions and a member of the Screen Actors Guild. "But we have to go where the work is, and it hasn't been here for quite awhile."
For information on public tours of the Mescal set, contact the site caretaker at 586-2201 or Old Tucson Studios at 520-883-0100.
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