by Sarah Alexandra

Created on: October 23, 2010

When most people think of the film and entertainment industries, they think of Hollywood, Los Angeles, New York. They don’t think of Wichita, Kansas, even though perhaps they should, as both Wichita and Kansas have a strong tradition in the film and entertainment industries.

There have been several movies and TV shows that reference Wichita:

The first to come to mind, of course, would be the movie

Wichita, released in 1955, which starred Joel McCrea, Vera Miles, and Lloyd Bridges. Wichita tells the story of gunfighter Wyatt Earp, who arrives in town with no intention of accepting the job of Marshal, before finally feeling obligated to bring some law and order to this slice of the Wild West.

Joel McCrea also starred in a short-lived TV series, Wichita Town, which aired on NBC during the 1959-1960 TV season. In this series, McCrea again starred as a lawman (Marshal Mike Dunbar), who, along with his deputies, kept order in town as it grew after the end of the Civil War.

There were also several movies that focused on the hunt for and capture of Dennis Rader, the BTK killer. Of varying quality, these films were: B.T.K (2009), BTK Killer (2006), and The Hunt For the BTK Killer (2007).

Also showing the seedier side of Wichita was the 2005 movie Ice Harvest, starring John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton. Written by local author Scott Phillips, Ice Harvest tells the story of a lawyer trying to swindle the local mob.

There are also several movies that were filmed in Wichita.

Mars Attacks!, the 1996 Tim Burton film starring Jack Nicholson, Annette Bening (also from Kansas) and Glenn Close, was filmed at least partially in Wichita, with one of the settings being The Donut Whole—one of the best donut places in town.

In 1989, a film called Twister, starring Harry Dean Stanton, Suzy Amis, and Crispin Glover, was released. While it would later be overshadowed by the 1996 film of the same name, the first Twister was filmed entirely in Wichita, and is appreciated as a cult classic in the area.

Although it is probably not as well known a fact as it once was, Wichita is also the home to the classic comic book character Dennis the Menace.

Wichita is also home to several actors: Kirstie Alley, star of Cheers, Veronica’s Closet, and Fat Actress, was born and raised in Wichita; Jeff Probst, host of Survivor was also born in Wichita; Don Johnson, star of Nash Bridges and Miami Vice was not born in Wichita, but he was raised there; and Sidney Toler, star of the Charlie Chan movies, called Wichita home.

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