SW New Mexico News

A grant from the Southwest Border Cultures Institute (SBCI) has supported Julia Smith in her mission to restore and digitize the films of Orville Wanzer, a notable filmmaker from the 1960s to the 1980s. Wanzer's work significantly influenced modern western and avant-garde cinema in the United States, particularly in border regions.

Wanzer joined New Mexico State University (NMSU) as an English professor in 1959. He also taught photography and film history and established NMSU's first filmmaking program. Wanzer passed away in 2019 at the age of 88.

"This will provide a huge insight into film culture in New Mexico," Smith said. "It's a window to the past, an unexamined look into the film history, not only of NMSU and Las Cruces but the state of New Mexico is in this collection of never-before-seen NMSU films."

Smith, a visiting assistant professor at NMSU’s Department of English and Gender and Sexuality Studies, worked extensively with NMSU’s Rio Grande Historical Collections (RGHC) using funds from the SBCI grant. She evaluated all 142 containers within Wanzer's collection for preservation. Over five years, she has scanned nearly half of these films on a mostly volunteer basis.

Her efforts included repairing, re-splicing, rehousing fragile reels into archival storage, and digitizing about half of them.

"The Southwest Border Cultures Institute’s support was pivotal," Smith said. "It allowed me to dedicate myself fully to preserving Wanzer’s groundbreaking work, elevating New Mexico’s unique contributions to film history, and laying the foundation for my documentary, 'Birth of the Acid Western.'"

By last summer's end, Smith had digitized over 10,000 feet of film with The Institute of Historical Survey in Mesilla Park. Since starting this project in 2019, she has digitized approximately 70 films to preserve Wanzer’s artistic legacy for future generations.

"These discoveries underscore Wanzer’s importance as a pioneering yet overlooked figure in U.S. film history," Smith said. "And the fact that his story begins here in Las Cruces, at NMSU, makes it all the more meaningful."

Smith credits her success partly to Michael Walsh's collaboration—a renowned film archivist and filmmaker.

"Michael’s mentorship was instrumental in navigating the complexities of this massive undertaking," Smith said. "With no film archivist on staff at RGHC and the collection sitting untouched for decades, this work was as urgent as it was rewarding."

Smith uncovered extraordinary discoveries beyond Wanzer's full-length feature film "The Devil’s Mistress." These include:

- A collection of experimental films shot mainly in the Southwest.

- Student films spanning documentary to narrative formats.

- Early KRWG student films directed by Wanzer.

- Two trailers for "The Devil’s Mistress."

- Details about Wanzer's Hollywood-based production company.

While much remains to be done, Smith's efforts lay crucial groundwork for her upcoming documentary "Birth of the Acid Western," set for completion next year with a trailer screening planned for February.

"The grant was about so much more than preserving films – it was about unlocking a broader story that connects New Mexico’s rich cultural heritage to both national and global narratives," she said. Smith aims to preserve Wanzer's legacy alongside highlighting Las Cruces' role in American film history.

Those interested can support this project by visiting https://linktr.ee/acidwesterndoc for donations.