TUCSON, Ariz.—The closest you will get to stepping off the dusty trail into a bustling 1880s frontier town is a day at Old Tucson, a historic movie studio and theme park.
Established in 1939 for the film “Arizona,” Old Tucson has been the backdrop for numerous classic Western movies and TV shows featuring legendary stars like John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Paul Newman.
Shows like “Little House on the Prairie” and movies such as “Tombstone,” “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral,” and “The Last Outpost” with Ronald Reagan were filmed at this location.
“Old Tucson has such a rich history, especially as it pertains to the stunt performers. And these guys love to improvise,” Ken Korpi, Old Tucson’s creative director, told The Epoch Times.
“This is a team that values everyone’s creativity,” he said about the collaborative spirit among the performers and staff.
Reflecting on the park’s origins, Mr. Korpi said, “It was really the place where people who made Western films started to say, ‘Hey, we can use practical locations and get away from these big studio backdrops.’”
Old Tucson remains an active film ranch offering 300 acres of space for movie and TV production.
Today, the park’s full-service studio capabilities, including stunt performers, background actors, costumes, and effects, also makes it a fabulous day out for the general public.
“The American West is such an interesting and vital part of our history here,” Mr. Korpi said. “Old Tucson embodies a snapshot of our lives where visitors can walk the streets with cowboys in an immersive experience.”
Benny James, a 36-year-old transplant from Colorado, has found a unique niche as a performer at Old Tucson for the past three years.
“Where else can you literally walk onto a working movie set?” Mr. James mused, reflecting on the park’s dual role as a theme park and filming location.
He thrives on interacting with visitors while in character and enjoys the camaraderie with his fellow performers.
Legacy of Stunt Excellence
Old Tucson is also about pushing the boundaries of live-action performance while prioritizing the well-being of its performers and on-set gun safety.Caden Gamblin, a 24-year-old stunt lead, has been at Old Tucson since he was 19, following in the footsteps of his father, Preston Gamblin, a stunt performer at the park in the late 1990s.
Safety is Mr. Gamblin’s top priority.
“The precautions we take with gun safety out here include making sure that a specific person is handling the firearms and ammunition. Secondly, the other versions of gun safety that we use in our shows involve never pointing the guns at each other. We fire only when it’s scripted in the shows.”
Mr. Gamblin said the guns they use are not actual firearms.
“They are very well-made blank-firing firearms with a plugged barrel,” he said.
He also mentioned the technique of “off-shooting,” where firearms are aimed roughly six to eight feet at the actor’s side.
Mr. Gamblin talked about his most challenging stunt—a 30-foot high fall.
“Your body doesn’t want to jump off of a 30-foot building. I had to trust my training,” he said.
Jesse Pickering, a 32-year-old Tucson native with a handlebar mustache reminiscent of Doc Holiday, embodies the spirit of Old Tucson’s stunt performers.
He doesn’t shy away from admitting his initial apprehension. A friend nudged him to audition, and despite his initial fear of heights, he’s found a home in stunt acting.
“With most of our stunts here, we start small,” he said.
The performers then build up to more complex stunts and choreography once they are comfortable, he said.
Another performer, Katerina Russo, a 25-year-old Tucson native, echoed the sentiment that safety is paramount for her and the cast at Old Tucson.
“It’s all about keeping everyone safe,” she said.
Ms. Russo said slipping into roles like Calamity Jane or a can-can dancer was particularly enjoyable.
“It’s a lot of fun being a woman in the Old West,” she added.
