Tucumcari plays role in 'On the Run'

Tucumcari residents will recognize many places in the film "On the Run" that recently debuted exclusively on Tubi TV.

A production team from MarVista Entertainment earlier this year spent three weeks in Tucumcari and Quay County shooting the crime drama, which at the time had a title of "Unprotected."

"On the Run," directed by the award-winning Traci Hays, is the tale of two sisters who learn of their family's involvement in a witness-protection program and go on the run from deadly members of a motorcycle gang.

Those watching "On the Run" will spot these Tucumcari locations:

- Tucumcari Railroad Depot;

- VFW Post 2528;

- Five Mile Park swimming pool;

- Americana Motel;

- Trails West tavern sign;

- Golden Dragon Restaurant;

- Relax Inn motel;

- Roadrunner Lodge Motel;

- TriStar Inn Express motel;

- Tucumcari Memorial Park cemetery.

Several scenes also were shot at a south-side residence in town. Tucumcari Mountain and surrounding mesas also make appearances.

Hays told the Quay County Sun in a phone interview Friday that Drew Brandon Jones, involved in the 2022 Mali Elfman-directed film "Next Exit" that also was shot in Tucumcari, recommended the city as a shooting location to Hays.

"He had read the script, and we knew we wanted to film Arizona or New Mexico, but we didn't exactly know where. Then Drew Brandon said, 'Hey, I think based on the subject matter, this town would be perfect for what you're looking for in terms of the tone.

"So, yes, it was all his fault," she added, laughing.

Hays said she began researching Tucumcari online and became intrigued. She traveled to Tucumcari several weeks before "On the Run" was scheduled to shoot to see for herself.

"When I first went through town, I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this is perfect. This has just there's so much character.' And I use that word because a lot of places I visit just feel very hollow. They don't really have a personality, or there's no history there."

She said one film that inspired the look of "On the Run" was the Oscar-nominated "Hell or High Water," which also was partly shot in Tucumcari.

"That was complete happenstance," she said. "I had no idea until I think a local told me (about 'Hell or High Water'). It was perfect.

"There was a specific look I was going for," she added. "The town is sort of stuck in the past in a lot of ways, and obviously there's so much history there with Route 66. And our characters are very much also stuck in the past.

Hays said later: "I've had multiple people come up and tell me how much they really loved the look of the film and the locations that we chose."

Hays said several "happy accidents" occurred during filming, where they changed locations at the last minute that made the film better.

She said residents proved helpful when the crew was trying to find a site where "somebody wants to go get in trouble or hang out and drink with their friends." They suggested the abandoned swimming pool at Five Mile Park.

"They brought me to that empty pool bed, which I had no idea existed," Hays recalled. "It could not be more of a perfect location to film that scene."

Hays said "On the Run" was scheduled for 14 days of shooting, which is short. She described the hurried time frame as a sort of "boot camp."

She said one of the challenges of shooting in eastern New Mexico was the blustery spring winds, which kept the production's drone cameras grounded for a day or two.

"I felt like a dried sponge by the time I left," she said. "I have never been in wind for days on end. You have to be really tough."

She said dialogue in a scene with co-stars Sofia Masson and Taylor Geare at Tucumcari Memorial Park cemetery had to be overdubbed later because of the wind.

"We could not hear a thing they were saying because it was 25, 30 mile an hour winds," Hays recalled. "It looks cool, though, when the dust kicks up."

According to "On the Run" end credits, the film acknowledged three Tucumcari hotels for lodging and Del's Restaurant for catering during the production.

Hays also recalled Michael Carlson, owner of the Goodies Go Last bakery.

"He was a total sweetheart and was constantly giving me things to try," she said. "I was like, I'm gonna gain so much weight. But we definitely tried everything in town."

A number of Tucumcari residents also were listed in the credits as bikers or extras.

Bobby Hockaday, film liaison for Film Tucumcari, said he heard the "On the Run" production spent at least $1 million locally.

He said film productions in rural areas such as Quay County are eligible for up to 40% tax credits from the state.

Hockaday was optimistic that more films would shoot in Tucumcari.

"I know the industry is kind of in a little bit of a slowdown, but I know that we're on the radar for many productions," he said. "We've still got to maintain that Tucumcari is film-friendly."

"On the Run" is rated for mature audiences due to violence and crude language. The film can be viewed for free at tubitv.com/movies/100025323/on-the-run with commercial interruptions.