Ten movies filmed in Kansas and where you can stream them

Kendrick Calfee, Salina Journal
·4 min read
The Historic Fox Theatre opened on June 18, 1931, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the State Register. The theatre was named the State Movie Palace of Kansas by the state legislature in 1994.
The Historic Fox Theatre opened on June 18, 1931, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the State Register. The theatre was named the State Movie Palace of Kansas by the state legislature in 1994.

Though the Midwest is not exactly the film capital of the nation, its charm certainly shines through when movies are filmed there. With its rolling hills and flat fields, wooded forests and larger cities spread out among the landscape, filmmakers take to the region for small-town settings and intimate storytelling.

When it comes to filmmaking, Kansas has certainly held its own as a resident in the heartland. Its towns have been featured in an array of movies, from stories of true crime to American epic westerns and a sci-fi comedy about visitors from Mars.

After the pomp and circumstance of the 95th Academy Awards Sunday, here is a list of some films that you might not know were shot in Kansas.

Note: streaming information is subject to change.

'In Cold Blood' (1967)

Director: Richard Brooks

Starring: Robert Blake, Scott Wilson, John Forsythe

Kansas locations: Emporia, Garden City, Holcomb, Kansas City (KS), Olathe

Does the story involve Kansas? Yes. In an attempt to stay true to the real events in Truman Capote's novel "In Cold Blood," several scenes in this true crime movie were filmed in the actual places they occurred in Garden City and Holcomb.

Where to stream: Apple TV, Amazon Prime

'Dances with Wolves' (1990)

Director: Kevin Costner

Starring: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney Grant

Kansas locations: Fort Hays in Hays, Kansas

Does the story involve Kansas? As the first of two Kevin Costner films on this list, this film follows an army lieutenant and his experiences with a Native American tribe. At one point in the plot, he is transferred to Fort Hays. While most of the film was shot in South Dakota and Wyoming, Fort Hays was the location for a few scenes.

Where to stream: Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Apple TV

'Paper Moon' (1973)

Director: Peter Bogdanovich

Starring: Ryan O'Neal, Madeline Kahn, John Hillerman, Tatum O'Neal

Kansas locations: Hays, Wilson, McCracken, Gorham, White Cloud

Does the story involve Kansas? The black-and-white film is set in Kansas and Missouri during the Great Depression. Con man Moses Pray (Ryan O’Neal) has his life changed forever when he agrees to take Addie Loggins (Ryan’s real daughter Tatum), a young, orphaned girl to her aunt’s home in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Where to stream: Available to rent/buy at: Apple TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube

'Terms of Endearment' (1983)

Director: James L. Brooks

Starring: Debra Winger, Shirley MacLaine, Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito

Kansas locations: Junction City

Does the story involve Kansas? No. While most of the film was shot in Texas, some scenes were filmed in Nebraska and Kansas. The story has characters placed in Iowa and Nebraska, but not Kansas.

Where to stream: HBO Max, Apple TV

'Mars Attacks!' (1996)

Director: Tim Burton

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Pam Grier, Danny DeVito, Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker

Kansas locations: Wichita, El Dorado, Leon, Burns, Lawrence

Does the story involve Kansas? Yes. Part of the sci-fi comedy based on a trading card series of the same name is set in the fictional Kansas town of Perkinsville.

Where to stream: Available for rent/purchase on: Apple TV, Amazon Prime

'Friday Night Lights' (2004)

Director: Peter Berg

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund

Kansas locations: Manhattan

Does the story involve Kansas? No. This sports drama about a high school football team's season was mostly shot in Texas — and set there — but several scenes were filmed in Manhattan.

Where to stream: Hulu, STARZ

'Ninth Street' (1999)

Director: Kevin Willmott and Tim Rebman

Starring: Kevin Willmott, Martin Sheen, Iassac Hayes, Nadine Griffith

Kansas locations: Kansas City

Does the story involve Kansas? Yes. The film is set in 1968 Junction City, Kansas, as it deteriorates following its heydays in the 1940s when jazz musicians would play in its local clubs.

Where to stream: Roku

Kevin Willmott, an award-winning filmmaker and University of Kansas film professor, won an Oscar in 2019 for his contribution to the film "BlacKkKlansman."
Kevin Willmott, an award-winning filmmaker and University of Kansas film professor, won an Oscar in 2019 for his contribution to the film "BlacKkKlansman."
February 24, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Spike Lee reads his acceptance speech as Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee accepts the award for best adapted screenplay for "BlacKkKlansman" during the 91st Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY NETWORK (Via OlyDrop)
February 24, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Spike Lee reads his acceptance speech as Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee accepts the award for best adapted screenplay for "BlacKkKlansman" during the 91st Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY NETWORK (Via OlyDrop)

'Sarah, Plain and Tall' (1991)

Director: Glenn Jordan

Starring: Glenn Close, Christopher Walken

Kansas locations: Reading

Does the story involve Kansas? Yes, the Hallmark Hall of Fame made-for-television film's story is set in Kansas in 1910.

Where to stream: not available

'Americana' (1981)

Director: David Carradine

Starring: David Carradine, Barbara Hershey, Michael Greene

Kansas locations: Drury

Does the story involve Kansas? The story took place in Drury, Kansas. It follows a Vietnam War veteran working to find his place in the world.

Where to stream: not available

'American Flyers' (1985)

Director: John Badham

Starring: Kevin Costner, David Marshall Grant

Kansas locations: McPherson, Lindsborg

Does the story involve Kansas? No. While it was partially shot in Kansas, this sports film was set in Missouri.

Where to stream: Apple TV, Amazon Prime

Kendrick Calfee has been a reporter with the Salina Journal since 2022, primarily covering county government and education. You can reach him at kcalfee@gannett.com or on Twitter @calfee_kc.

This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Here are 10 movies filmed in Kansas and where you can stream them