About the history & legacy of cinema in Kansas City

Most people on the coasts know about Kansas City's musical heritage.  They've heard about the barbecue.  They have a vague recollection that someone once told them it's a nice town.  But it's still a "flyover," one of the places they see from the airplane window while traveling between New York and L.A.  The idea that this Midwestern city has a rich cinematic heritage would likely never occur to them.

It doesn't always occur to people who live here, either, and the History & Legacy page is designed to change that.  This area has produced famous actors and groundbreaking directors, as well as major advances in film exhibition and distribution.  There are a remarkable number of historic buildings in Kansas City associated with the industry, including some of the country's most beautiful theaters.  And, of course, there's a tradition of both independent and Hollywood-based filmmaking here, going back to the silent era.

Ideas and information are always welcome.  There are hundreds of stories to tell, and we look forward to sharing some of them with you. - Loey Lockerby, Heartland Critic and Past President of the KC Film Critics Circle

Visit KC Film Tourism Program

By Cinema KC / February 1st, 2022 /

A Rich History In Film And Animation The KC Film Office  and Visit KC, with support from the City of Kansas City, have launched a film tourism program where you…

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Why they can’t stop remaking Macbeth

By Dan Lybarger / January 21st, 2022 /

In Roman Polanski’s 1971 version of Shakespeare’s most accessible play, “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Jon Finch played the title character while Francesca Annis portrayed Lady Macbeth, famously playing the sleepwalking…

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Fade to Black: The Past, Present, and Future of KC Cinema

By Patricia Hamarstrom Williams / November 13th, 2021 /

As curtains fell and theaters went dark in 2020, an industry that has been an integral part of the American Experience since the early-1900s was suddenly silent. A new half-hour…

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‘The Sheik’ looks good for 100-year-old movie

By Dan Lybarger / November 5th, 2021 /

The Sheik Rudolph Valentino died of complications from a perforated ulcer and appendicitis in 1926, but he clearly left a vivid impression during his 31 years. Billy Wilder name dropped…

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When Rudy Ray Moore—aka Dolemite—came to Kansas City

By Dan Lybarger / November 22nd, 2019 /

Sheets with Moore during the filming of Violent New Breed. // Photo courtesy of Todd Sheets. Best known for his pseudo alter-ego Dolemite, comedian and proto-rapper Rudy Ray Moore died…

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First woman: Re-discovering cinema pioneer Alice Guy-Blaché

By Dan Lybarger / August 30th, 2019 /

Alice Guy-Blaché was, from 1896 to 1906, probably the only woman in the world who was making films. By the time her career ended prematurely in 1920, she had directed…

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The Gem on the Vine

By Cinema KC / March 16th, 2018 /

  During jazz’s Golden Age, legends like Count Basie, Charlie Parker and Bennie Moten helped make Kansas City’s 18th and Vine district a mecca for successful and innovative musicians. In…

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Cinema KC History

The Kalem Girl from KC

By Cinema KC / March 1st, 2018 /

When she left the film industry in 1920, Gene Gauntier had written, directed, acted in and/or produced over 300 pictures, including the first adaptation of “Ben-Hur” and a “Girl Spy” adventure series. She had traveled the world and formed her own production company. She’d been hailed as the biggest star at Kalem Studios, and sued for copyright infringement.

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