Fatal ‘Rust’ shooting overshadows legacy of Bonanza Creek ranch

Decades before Alec Baldwin and the fatal shooting of “Rust,” the dusty acres of Bonanza Creek Ranch helped put New Mexico on the map as a dazzling location for filming cowboy movies.

The ranch was the setting for classics such as “Butch Cassidy”, and a place where Hollywood stars were greeted by long-time manager Imogene Hughes with cold lemonade and banana bread.

As Alec Baldwin goes on trial this week for involuntary manslaughter following a fatal shooting at Bonanza Creek, Hughes’ daughter is grateful her late mother won’t have to witness the place’s newfound fame.

“I think this would have really upset him,” Denise Spaccamonti said.

Nestled in the foothills on the outskirts of Santa FeThe ranch was primarily known for cattle ranching until Hollywood came knocking on its door in the 1950s.

Location scouts cast him in “The Man from Laramie,” a 1955 western starring James Stewart. Other productions followed.

Film activity accelerated when Imogene took over the place following the death of her husband Glenn, often working with local politicians to lure California producers with financial incentives.

The crews from “Silverado,” a 1985 film starring Kevin Kline and Kevin Costner, They built a small white painted building that remained on site after filming ended.

Other buildings were added for films such as “Young Gunslingers” and soon the streets of a western town would also be added.

“I remember ‘Lucky Luke.’ It wasn’t a great movie. Actually, it was terrible!” Spaccamonti said. “But it’s nice to see how each movie had something to do with building that. It wasn’t just one person, but a bunch of pieces that came together in a puzzle.”

“Insensitive”

But today, that legacy has taken a cruel turn.

One of those buildings built on the fly was a chapel in which on October 21, 2021 a shot was fired from a gun that Alec Baldwin brandished during a rehearsal, fatally wounding “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Film production was temporarily suspended at Bonanza Creek while police combed the site during investigations.

Film activities have resumed quietly and discreetly: it is not known which productions are working on the site.

“Nobody wants to say they’re filming a movie in the same place where she was killed,” said David Manzanares, who is in charge of field operations at nearby Ghost Ranch, where “Oppenheimer” was filmed.

Although there are no indications that the estate bears any responsibility, “People say ‘if this becomes public, we’ll be seen as insensitive, like ‘how could they film there?'” added Manzanares, a long-time friend and collaborator of Hughes.

Identifiable buildings such as the chapel could be “modified” to hide their fatal connotation in other films, he suggested.

The ranch owners declined AFP’s requests for an interview.

Asked whether the fatal shooting put Bonanza Creek in a bind going forward, Shannon Hughes, who heads the film arm, said that was a “guess.”

For her, Imogene Hughes’ legacy “should not be part of the ‘Rust’ accident. (…) She passed away, she has no say.”

“Very unfortunate”

Still, the legacy of Imogene Hughes, who died weeks before the tragic “Rust” incident, was described candidly by other relatives and well-known New Mexico filmmakers.

“She made a profound impact on everyone she met,” said Jacques Paisner, artistic director of the Santa Fe International Film Festival, which runs a scholarship for local film students named in Hughes’ honor.

“My mom felt for the students. She let them come [a filmar en el rancho] without pay. Who does that these days?” Spaccamonti asked.

For Manzanares, Bonanza Creek and Hughes were “key” to bringing Hollywood resources to New Mexico, one of the poorest states in the United States.

“The owner could have easily said ‘I’m fine working with cattle,'” Manzanares commented.

Instead, “she allowed everyone else to prosper,” with “millions of dollars over decades” going to film crews and technicians, drivers and food companies. What happened “is very regrettable,” he said.