Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/929567
shot due to the updated modifications, or all the buildings would have modern metal roofing—too big to remedy on this budget. The ranch selected was in Harrison, MT, which is near the town of Whitehall. It was the perfect layout for the story, but it had its own challenges. All the wood was so weathered, it had turned gray, and the corral fencing and barn had missing pieces or sections that had rotted away. The barn, a scripted interior, had so much horse manure, a chainsaw was required to remove the petrified three feet of it that covered the entire floor. All the buildings were stained to bring up the richness of the wood, corral fencing was fixed, an entrance arch with gates added, and all the structures a functioning ranch would have: outhouse, well, chicken coop, laundry lines and hitching posts, were built. The ranch house itself was also lacking the feel of a period homestead—so a porch and fencing were constructed around the house, and a water trough and hitching post were added, in addition to the dressing of tables, buckets, metal jugs, carts, barrels and lanterns. The bunkhouse set had originally been scheduled to shoot at Nevada City where the ranch house interior was being shot. It was all set for the film crew when I was notified we wouldn't have time to shoot it on our last day at the location. So, the set was broken down, and the dressing moved north with the production. I had one day to find and dress a suitable interior somewhere on the ranch set in Harrison. The existing bunkhouse interior was way too small for filming, and was filled with machinery and random junk. When I looked at the upstairs of the ranch house, I saw a way to get the two angles we needed—a view out from the bedroom area into the kitchen, and a reverse of that angle. It's a crucial scene, since it's the only time we see Lefty in his habitat and his relationship to the other ranch hands—a vital plot point. And the best part? Everyone on the production ended up liking this set better than the previous choice. A. Johnson ranch house location photo, before restore and construction. B. Johnson ranch barn interior, before manure cleanout. C. Kathy Baker is accusing Bill Pullman inside the Johnson ranch barn. D. Sketch by Eve McCarney of the ranch outhouse, well and chicken coop. E. Finished ranch well and outhouse on the ranch property. F. Dressed ranch house interior, shot on location in Nevada City. G. Bunkhouse interior, dressed in one day at Johnson ranch, Harrison, MT. H. Joe Anderson in a scene set inside the gold mill. I. Approach view of the gold mill location, behind the town of Bannack. F G H I