'3:10 to Yuma': Horse trouble and Russell Crowe rumors

By Stone Martindale Dec 1, 2006, 2:18 GMT

Russell Crowe EPA/Víctor Lerena

3:10 to Yuma, a Western currently filming in New Mexico, helmed by James Mangold (Walk the Line) has had some problems.  The film stars Russell Crowe and Christian Slater, has had some bad luck in the equine department, but now reports are surfacing from local sources that Russell Crowe had to visit the local ER.

Defamer.com is reporting one of their field "operatives" spotted the lead actor, Russell Crowe, in a New Mexico hospital early today. "I saw Russell Crowe in the Santa Fe Emergency Room a couple of hours ago as I walked through. He was hooked up to one of those bleeping heart monitors but looked ok. A skinny blond woman and a younger man with dark hair were with him. He even looked hot with an oxygen mask on, his hair is pretty long." States the unnamed "operative" to
Defamer.

Monsters and Critics spoke directly with the production office staff in New Mexico today who were mystified by the defamer.com report and told us that Crowe "was fine, and right here at work."

A quarter horse and its stuntman rider were injured Oct. 23rd when the horse ran head-on into a camera vehicle, tossing the rider to the ground.The horse, which broke a leg, was euthanized on the set.

The NewMexican.com news portal reports that the American Humane, an organization that tracks animal well-being on film sets, "has recommended that no charges in the death of a horse on the movie set last month in Diablo Canyon west of Santa Fe."

The stuntman, Deryle Lujan is reportedly is recuperating from his mishap. He suffered a punctured lung, a broken clavicle, broken ribs and other injuries and spent three to four weeks in the hospital, according to Paul Abrams, a Santa Fe attorney who said he was investigating whether to file a civil action on Lujan's behalf, reports the NewMexican.com

3:10 to Yuma is a remake of the 1957 film with Glenn Ford and Van Heflin, and is expected to continue filming in the Santa Fe area through January. Many of the department heads working with Mangold were also his key crew from Walk the Line.