Silver Screen Memories

The thrilling tale of brothers Frank and Jesse James and how they turn to a life of crime after their mother is killed when she refused to sell her property to a ruthless railroad man.

Starring Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda, Nancy Kelly, Randolph Scott

Filmed August–October 1938, primarily in and around Pineville, Missouri; also Benton County, between Hiwasse and Gravette.

Carpenters, painters, wagon masters, and extras transformed Pineville, Missouri, into the fictional town of Liberty for the movie Jesse James. Wood planks, painted gray to simulate age, covered concrete sidewalks and hitching posts were installed. At one point, a large flock of guinea hens ruined a dramatic scene. Young boys were paid thirty-five cents per bird to round them up and move them away.

Some of the scenes featuring the fictional St. Louis Midland Railroad were filmed on the Bentonville branch of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway between Hiwasse and Gravette. The Bentonville branch was ideal, because it had little traffic by the 1930s. Frisco rail cars and equipment were re-lettered especially for the movie.

Over $200,000 was spent by the movie company and by an estimated 200,000 tourists, including some from Northwest Arkansas, who came to watch Hollywood stars in action. One story tells of hundreds of University of Arkansas students who neglected their classes to make the drive to Missouri. One young woman, Mary Margaret Bowen, was hoping to get heartthrob Tyrone Power’s autograph, but fainted as a result of the day’s heat and crowd. Luckily for her, Power came to the rescue, carrying her into the coach of the train, “where he patted her wrist and fanned her to recovery.”

 

The complicated tale of a young man, loved by two women, who needs money to improve his farm, only to receive a loan from a man whose son then steals the money.

Starring Gloria Jean, Lance Devro, Louise Larrimer, Walter Kingsford, Mirna Liles, Governor Sid McMath

Filmed September–October 1951 in Cave Springs (Lake Keith), Springdale (Hitchin’ Post Café), and Fayetteville (University of Arkansas).

Viva Ruth Liles of Russellville, Arkansas, produced Wonder Valley (originally titled Seven Wonders), the first movie filmed entirely in the state. Liles hoped to establish a motion-picture production office in Arkansas, saying that movies made here would be less expensive than Hollywood and would showcase the area’s wonderful scenery. Filming and operations for Wonder Valley were based at Lake Keith, a tourism spot in Cave Springs that offered barracks-style buildings and a restaurant for cast and crew.

The film focused on the Wonder family and featured former child star Gloria Jean and actors Lance Devro, John Fontaine, and Walter Kingsford. Actors, crew, and community came together. Kingsford helped with a fundraising auction for the Springdale swimming pool. The Hollywood folks attended a pie supper to raise money for the Cave Springs fire department. Governor Sid McMath had a small role, playing himself. Several Springdale folks were used as extras when a scene was shot at the Hitchin’ Post Café on Emma Avenue. Locals were treated to “rushes” (screenings of unedited film) at the Victory Theatre in Rogers and the Apollo Theatre in Springdale.

Glenn Jones remembers when the film crew came to shoot a scene at Lake Keith. It was “all the locals talked about day and night.” He watched some of the filming but was “bored stiff,” wishing he was out playing in the fields and creeks. After his grandmother bought a “Lake Keith” postcard from an enterprising salesman, stars Gloria Jean and John Fontaine saw him with it and autographed it for him. Young Glenn “wasn’t impressed since [he] had never heard of either of them.”

The film was troubled from the start. Shooting locations and dates didn’t occur as announced. Producer Liles tried to interest local leaders in buying stock in her Wonder State Motion Picture Company to help fund the film’s production. While several thousands of dollars were said to have been raised in Springdale, Fayetteville folks remained skeptical. In October, filming halted when actors and technicians walked off the set, claiming they hadn’t been paid. Liles remarked that those reports weren’t true, as she headed off to Hollywood to raise funds. A few days later the motion picture company filed for bankruptcy. In 1952 the court bankruptcy trustee spoke with Liles who said “it will take considerable money to complete the picture,” but that she would do so.

The film had a few showings in Arkansas, Missouri, and California, and possibly elsewhere. It’s thought that the only known copy of the film was badly deteriorated and no longer exists.

The gripping tale of Civil War soldiers returning to their Ozarks home, only to find that their Confederate neighbors think that they fell in with Union forces during their time away.

Starring John Ashley, John Russell, Myron Healey, Walter Brennan

Filmed May 1971 in and around Winslow, including the Jones Ranch, Devil’s Den, and Lee Creek

After co-producer Robert Hughes paid a visit to his brother in Fort Smith, he was so taken “with the beauty of Arkansas with fall colors” that he decided to make a movie in the area. Script problems for Smoke in the Wind led to the film being made in the spring, rather than the fall.

Several weeks were spent “face lifting” downtown Winslow, including Hugh Smith’s General Store, which was transformed into multiple storefronts such as a boot and saddle shop, livery (horse stable), saloon, feed-and-grain store, and blacksmith shop. The sets were built by the G. H. Construction Company of Fort Smith. Seen in the film is the old Jones homestead, described as a “turkey-trot type home with a full-length front port and central hallway.” It was located on Lee Creek about halfway between Lincoln and Van Buren.

Hundreds of tourists came to watch the moviemaking and visit the set. The first scene filmed, that of a funeral at a country church, was made difficult by moving clouds which continually altered the brightness of the scene. Onlookers stood nearby, cameras in hand. Some of the actors stayed in Fort Smith while others were housed at Mt. Gaylor. Lunch was served in the cafeteria of the Winslow School where, on the first day of filming, the lunchroom workers were busy taking souvenir photos of actors and crew.

The thrilling tale of an Arkansas horse farmer who tries to fight off strip-mining interests, only to seek revenge once family members are killed.

Starring Peter Fonda, Gene Allen Franco, Harry Northup

Filmed October–November 1975 in Springdale (airport, Landmark Mobile Home Park), Fayetteville (Washington County Jail, Brenda’s Bigger Burgers, Swingin’ Door), Wyman, Bentonville (Joe Applegate house), Johnson (limestone quarry), and Greenland.

When news of the movie Fighting Mad was announced, it was expected that 400 extras would be needed for the film, all to be cast locally. Gene Allen Franco of Springdale was cast as star Peter Fonda’s son. The eight-year-old worked on the set from dawn to dark, about four days a week. As a newspaper reporter put it, “Life for [Gino was] a collage of cameras, memorizing lines and hanging around with his friend Pete.”

Seventy-six-year-old Berslie Watson was discovered while having lunch “where the elderly people eat in Springdale.” Director Jonathan Demme “asked if I could ride a bike and run and I said I thought so.” She ran in one scene and was “thrilled to death” that the filmmaker got the take he wanted on her first try.

Third-graders from Washington Elementary School in Fayetteville were used in a scene involving a bus crashing into an autumnal pumpkin display. Jennifer Pinkerton Cook remembers how fun it was that Fonda signed autographs; she still has hers. Local band Zorro and the Blue Footballs played in the background of a scene shot at the Swingin’ Door. Fonda and Demme had seen the band at the saloon and had the group written into the script. They sang “The Bleeding Hearts Inn” and “Cry of the Wild Goose” and were paid $300.

The police are said to have made numerous calls to the cast and crew’s hotels for drunken and disorderly conduct. Rudeness to locals, especially the old Dickson Street crowd, led one person to comment that folks were happy to see them go. When asked about Northwest Arkansas, Fonda said, “We like Fayetteville fine. The people in Arkansas have been very cooperative, from the governor’s office on down. The police and officials here have been very helpful. We would consider coming back.”

The epic tale of two sisters and their families who find themselves on opposing sides during the Civil War.

Starring Stacy Keach, Gregory Peck, Lloyd Bridges, Colleen Dewhurst, John Hammond, Diane Baker, Julia Duffy

Filmed August–December 1981 at over 100 locations, including Fayetteville (University of Arkansas), Winslow, Beaver, Eureka Springs, Lake Wedington, Cave Springs, Elkins, Springdale, Wesley, Prairie Grove, Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, and Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway

Architecture historian Cyrus Sutherland was enlisted to find appropriate buildings for The Blue and the Gray’s many location shots, including the historic Headquarters House, which was actually under siege during the Battle of Fayetteville in 1863. With the help of Hollywood magic, the modern pavement of Fayetteville’s Washington Street disappeared under a layer of topsoil and Old Main on the University of Arkansas campus was transformed into Ford’s Theater, where President Lincoln was shot. The deathbed scene was filmed in an old shoestring plant in Springdale. Legendary UA athletic director Frank Broyles played one of Lincoln’s doctors. The production’s wardrobe, valued at $16–18 million (nearly equal to the film’s budget) was stored in a Springdale warehouse. It included Scarlett O’Hara’s famous green velvet dress (made from curtains) from Gone with the Wind.

The production company appreciated the friendliness and enthusiasm of Northwest Arkansas residents, who allowed their homes to be used as sets and sponsored fishing derbies and dinners for the crew. One day the director, actors, and crew stopped filming to watch Prairie Grove’s homecoming parade. An expensive proposition, as the average hourly production cost was $8,000.

An estimated $11–17 million was spent in Northwest Arkansas. Thousands of folks were employed as actors and extras (the latter sometimes called “atmospheres” by the crew). Cal Kinzer, park historian at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, served as the film’s military coordinator and technical advisor, arranging for about 350 Civil War re-enactors, including the Union Rifles, a local unit.

The miniseries’ premiere was held at the Malco Twin Cinema in Springdale. Several actors attended, including Stacy Keach. A reception was held at the Rodeo of the Ozarks community center. At the theater, Civil War re-enactors fired a gun salute as folks entered.

The suspenseful tale of a lawyer who’s been living in the woods as a hermit and the anthropologist who tries to figure out why, when he becomes the suspect in a missing-child case.

Starring Robert Logan, Kathleen Quinlan, Bradford Dillman, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Patricia Relph

Filmed October–November 1985 in Fayetteville (Markham Hill, University of Arkansas campus), Johnson (post office), and Springdale (jail, municipal law library)

Fort Smith native Mark Stouffer, director, co-writer, and co-producer, wrote Man Outside (originally titled The Tuscaloosan: A Solitary Man) “explicitly for Fayetteville,” calling it “a wonderful place to structure a story.” Members of the legendary country rock group, The Band, had roles in the film, including Rick Danko and Levon Helm.

Many Northwest Arkansas residents were cast, including Springdale businessman Philip Steele, Patricia Relph of the University of Arkansas drama department (she also worked as a wardrobe assistant), law enforcement professionals Larry Fletcher, Bill Wolber, Kaine Garrett, and John Harris, and newsmen Guy Barnes and Mark Remes. During the filming of the courthouse scene, Barnes remembers taking up position “standing close to [the film] producer’s daddy,” thus ensuring that he would be seen on screen.

When lead actress Kathleen Quinlan was told that in one scene she would be running from a wild boar, she said “I will jump from high places, even dive into cold water, but I will not be chased by a wild boar.” Fortunately for her, the boar was played by a 400-pound pet pig. Also in the movie was “Chessie,” a dog who shared a room at the Fayetteville Hilton with her handler and attended a reception for cast and crew put on by the Northwest Arkansas Motion Picture Commission.

The comedic tale of a televangelist whose weekly broadcast is interrupted by rednecks, robbers-turned-hostage-takers, and the various entities struggling to end the crisis.

Starring Bill Paxton, Tim Curry, Annie Potts

Filmed February–April 1987 in Eureka Springs (city auditorium), Green Forest (Billie’s Bar), and Clifty (Clifty Store)

When word went out about needing extras for Pass the Ammo (originally titled Pass the Ammunition), the casting director advertised for singers and dancers as well as folks who were “structurally unique” with “large noses and large bottoms and such.” The filmmakers employed locals as extras and crew and patronized area businesses, hotels, and restaurants, pumping an estimated $2 million into the area economy. The historic city auditorium became the fictional “Tower of Bethlehem” church. Statues and a false stone front were added to the building’s exterior, which was demolished by a tank in the final scenes of the movie.

But not everyone was happy with the movie, a spoof about crooked televangelists. After several local pastors read the script, they denounced it as being full of “nudity, sex, obscenity, perversity, drugs, vulgarity, racism, and violence.” Mayor Richard Schoeninger replied, “If it were pornographic, I would be forced to stop it.” Some criticized that the movie would make “Arkansans and Eureka Springs look backwards and hillbilly.” The Elna M. Smith Foundation, owners of the “Christ of the Ozarks” statue, deplored the movie. Protesters (led by a Foundation employee) picketed cast and crew. To keep it from being filmed, the statue was draped in black plastic “for restoration work.” But early shots taken of the undraped statue made it to the final cut.

Pass the Ammo was never shown in Arkansas due to financial problems which forced the production company to sell the film rights for video release. But local folks worked hard to hold a premiere in Fayetteville, sponsored by the Northwest Arkansas Motion Picture Commission. As chairman Philip Steele of Springdale noted, “This movie was shot in Arkansas, using a lot of Arkansas people and we are tickled that it will be shown here. We want our membership to see how exciting the film industry can be.”

An action-packed tale of how the James and Younger brothers and their co-horts turn to a life of crime after being oppressed by Chicago railroad investors and Union soldiers.

Starring Rob Lowe, Bill Paxton, Randy Travis

Filmed December 1993–January 1994 in Fayetteville, Pea Ridge, Winslow, Eureka Springs, Prairie Grove, Chester, and War Eagle Cavern. Railroad scenes featured the Winslow Tunnel, the railcar on Dickson Street used as a branch location of the Bank of Fayetteville, and historic trains operated by the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway and the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad.

About 1,500 folks applied to be extras in Frank and Jesse (originally titled Lone Rider). Some folks were cast because of their beards while others had “matronly appeal, a waspish waist, or long hair that could easily be twisted into a period style.” Mike Whitehead and his family were cast as mourners in one scene. He said, “It was great. It was fun to watch the actors and be part of the action.” Shane McNair of Gentry was part of the sound crew, working twelve-hour days, six days a week, for $300 a week. “The money wasn’t that good, but it was fun.” He enjoyed working with the actors but they were “just . . . co-workers. It was boring after a while.” McNair noted that country musician and actor Randy Travis, who played Cole Younger, often visited with fans and signed autographs.

Catherine Bruce of Fayetteville helped with wardrobe. She said, “In the art of movie making, what you see on the silver screen many times is the result of special effects, hard work, and a bit of magic.” For instance, a vest worn by star Rob Lowe had a red-stained “vest double,” worn after the actor was “shot.” Many props were brought from California, but some were rented or purchased locally. One scene required a kerosene bomb, fabricated in part from dowel rods and a can of beans bought at Walmart. A gallows was built near Goshen at the weekend retreat of Dr. Harvey and Amy Smith. Their log cabin was transformed into Jesse James’ home, complete with period furnishings and a reproduction wood stove from Rogers’ House of Webster.

Fayetteville residents Kenneth Williams and Eric Gordon served as location managers, securing contracts with property owners. “When a film company comes in, fences are removed and buildings altered. We come along behind and make sure everything goes back the way it was before.” Of the company’s time in the area, producer Cassian Elwes said, “It’s been a lot of fun. The people of Arkansas are so warm and gracious. We’ll take home a lot of nice memories.”

Chrystal (1994)

The dramatic tale of a convict returning home after causing a car crash that killed his son and injured his wife, and how he has to face the challenges of reuniting with her while leaving his old drug-dealing ways.

Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Lisa Blount

Filmed in Eureka Springs

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Mr. Christmas (2005)

A heartwarming Depression-era tale of a young girl who asks for the perfect gift from Santa, which her father can’t afford.

Starring Jace McLean, Jen Celene Little, Ireland Rose Maddox

Filmed in Eureka Springs

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Elizabethtown (2005)

A romantic tale of a failed shoe designer who is contemplating suicide but is halted by the death of his father, only to meet a friendly flight attendant who helps him come to terms with his life and find love.

Starring Orlando Bloom, Kirstin Dunst, Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin

One scene filmed in Beaver (Little Golden Gate Bridge)

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War Eagle, Arkansas (2007)

A compelling tale of a high school student with a stutter who relies on his friend (who uses a wheelchair) to help him speak to people, but the two don’t see eye-to-eye about the girl one of them is sweet on.

Starring Brian Dennehy, Mary Kay Place, Luke Grimes, Dan McCabe

Filmed in Eureka Springs, Huntsville, Fayetteville, War Eagle, Berryville, Buffalo National River

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Gordon Family Tree (2012)

The coming-of-age tale about an unfulfilled architect who takes a road trip and builds secret tree houses for the children of the generous folks he meets along the way, and who comes to understand the virtue in doing what he loves.

Starring Corbin Bernsen, Richard Karn, Jennica Schwartsman

Filmed in Fayetteville

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Valley Inn (2014)

A comedic tale of an East Coast college student who finds herself selling Christian books door-to-door in a small town, only to have the quirky but endearing locals show her what’s most valuable in life.

Starring Joey Lauren Adams, Natalie Canerday

Filmed in Hindsville (Valley Inn Café), Springdale (Rodeo of the Ozarks)

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Greater (2016)

 The true story of Brandon Burlsworth and his struggle to become a Razorback football player at the University of Arkansas, before his tragic death at age twenty-two.

Starring Christopher Severio, Neal McDonough, Quinton Aaron, Nick Searcy

Filmed in Springdale, Farmington, Gravette, Lincoln, Fayetteville (Razorback Stadium, Broyles Athletic Center, Old Main), Harrison

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True Detective [Season Three] (2019)

Spanning several decades, a detective investigates a terrible crime committed in the Ozarks involving two children.

Starring Mahershala Ali, Carmen Ejogo, Stephen Dorff, Scoot McNairy, Ray Fisher

Filmed in Fayetteville, Bentonville, Lincoln, Rogers, Springdale, Huntsville (Tugboat’s Place)

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———. “Man Outside Story Triumphs.” Springdale News, 10-29-1986.

———. “Motion Picture Wizards Weave Webs of Illusion.” Springdale News, 12-14-1981.

———. “Scenes for Solitary Man Unfold Atop Wooded Hill.” Springdale News, 11-17-1985.

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———. “Hindsville café stars in Arkansans’ movie.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 7-14-2013.

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———. “Concerns Continue About Eureka Film.” 1-22-1987.

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———. “Movie Production Involves Numerous Area Workers.” Springdale Morning News, 1-22-1994.

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———. “New Drive-In Theater Opens Thursday Night.” 8-17-1949.

———. “Opening scenes for Ozark movie completed by production crew.” 10-16-1985.

———. “State Hopes Film’s Success Will Attract Movie-Makers.” 1-31-1982.

———. “Winslow to be Movie Setting.” 4-26-1971.

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———. “‘Our movie’ finally on screen.” Eureka Springs Times-Echo, 6-2-1988.

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———. “Arkansas Showing of Pass the Ammo Scheduled.” Harrison Daily Times, 5-20-1988.

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———. “Playing with Peter Fonda . . . Is Great Pretending.” 10-26-1975.

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