A behind-the-scenes look at the filming of "Xpendable" in the cellar of Pallet Wine Co. in Medford.

Walter Haussner taught himself how to make films as a “bucket list thing” just ahead of his 60th birthday. Now, his fourth film — the noir short “Xpendable” — has been shown at 33 film festivals worldwide and has won seven best film awards and a best cinematography award.

Haussner said he was most pleased to see the 30-minute film included in the noncompetitive 11th annual Noir Film Festival in the Czech Republic Aug. 24-27. Haussner and his wife, Susan, said they are excited to travel to the nearly 800-year-old Český Šternberk Castle in the Central Bohemian region of the country, where their film will be shown alongside big names of noir such as Fritz Lang and Alfred Hitchcock.

The film has a local connection — it was shot at Pallet Wine Co. in Medford and at a Jacksonville residence over the summer of 2022.

Haussner moved to the Rogue Valley years ago when he retired after 20 years with the U.S. Air Force. 

He has been the criminal and civil records supervisor at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office since 2006, and during a trip to visit his college town several years ago, he reconnected with an acquaintance who two years ago became his wife and companion in filmmaking.

Susan is listed in the credits of “Xpendable” as “associate producer, director’s assistant, sound, set director, cross bearer, my love.”

When the Haussners and the film’s leading lady, Annette Buchanan McGregor, reunited at the film’s location in Pallet Wine Co.’s cellar Friday afternoon, he recounted the way the low-budget project came to life through creativity and generosity. 

“As much as a cinephile as I am, it’s one thing to watch all these movies, but it’s a totally different thing to try and make one,” he said.

Set in 1957, the film is shot in black and white at both Pallet Wine Co. and the home of Judy Mallanik of Jacksonville. Based on a short story by 1950s noir writer Evan Hunter, the film follows a young boy and an old woman into a maze of wine barrels where they are compelled to play Russian roulette. One of the two is expected to die by random chance, thereby settling a dispute between rival gangs. 

The original short story has the revolver passed back and forth between two young men. But that’s already been done, Haussner said.

“You can look it up on YouTube. Lots of people have done it. I wanted to do it, but I wanted to make it unique. At first I thought I could make it generational, maybe an older guy, like … the gang thinks he’s expendable. But that didn’t really work out, so then I thought, ‘Why don’t we do a more mature woman?’” he said.

Haussner shared his idea with Susan. She had a suggestion for who should play the leading lady, she said.

McGregor’s dark, gravely voice and cinematic personality caught the attention of both Haussners whenever they visited the Jacksonville coffee shop McGregor owned at the time — The 45. 

“When Walt approached me, the first thing I said is, ‘I’m not an actor.’ … But he can be insistent. I finally rolled over and said yes,” McGregor said.

McGregor said she’s had the voice all her life, and although many people have encouraged her to go into movies or radio, until now she resisted. The Haussners told her to be herself.

Another actor in the film with no previous experience is Walter Haussner’s co-worker, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Det. Adam Lewis, who plays a gang member who is ultimately shot by McGregor’s character.

“He gave me some great tips for how to shoot ’em. … He helped with body language and everything,” McGregor said.

Rigging the scene’s squib — a device to simulate spurting blood — was a challenge solved through husband and wife working at home, Haussner said. The couple fitted a T-shirt on their life-size statue of Edvard Munch’s painting “The Scream” — it has made cameos in all his films — and tested until they perfected a pneumatic device using carbon dioxide cartridges, a bike tire tube and fake blood.

A crew member laid on the ground out of camera range and activated the device attached to a tube under the actor’s shirt, Haussner said. The scene was shot during “a downpour” outside Pallet on North Fir Street, McGregor said.

Haussner had a permit to close the street in front of Pallet for only one day, he said. He worried about getting cast and crew assembled again if he tried to delay for clear weather, so the scenes were shot in acceptance of the deluge as “an element of noir,” he said. 

The film’s classic cars were thanks to another actor in the film, Johnny Whelchel, president of the Stray Cats Car Club. All of the car owners insisted on being on set, Haussner said. The owner of a 1954 Oldsmobile 98 endured watching McGregor struggle to manage the car’s acceleration rate.

“That poor car. I almost put it through those doors (at Pallet) — I saw his eyes,” McGregor said.

Linda Donovan, owner of Pallet Wine Co., did not charge for the use of her building, and opened up her cellar space to the film with “saintly patience,” according to a screen-wide thanks to Donovan in the film’s credits. 

“It was amazing, it was so fun, watching it come together,” Walter Haussner said. “We had a couple of long nights. That last night I think we were here until 5 or 6 in the morning. There was a lot of coffee, a lot of talking — unless they were filming, then you had to be quiet.”

Donovan said the film reinforced her pride that she renovated the building rather than tearing down and building something new. She said she’d be happy to open up every building she owns for future filmmaking projects, free of charge.

To support Haussner’s filmmaking efforts or inquire about screening the film, email rudirisproductions@gmail.com.