Local Programs

previously Shown on ScreenTime

Ain't Seen Nothing Like it Since: The Kansas City Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs were the royalty of black baseball. Hall of Famers like Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson and Ernie Banks wore the Monarchs uniform. So did dozens of other remarkable athletes, men whose talent and achievements deserve to be remembered. As one who watched them once said, "You ain't seen nothin' like it since."

Produced by KCPT. Purchase the VHS here.

Art on the Block

When Kansas City leaders pushed for major urban redevelopment in 2003, H&R Block was one of the first corporations to locate their world headquarters downtown. At the heart of this move was a commitment to support local and regional talent through the H&R Block Art Program, using art as an agent for urban renewal. "Art on the Block" documents the ambitious collaboration between H&R Block and the ten regional artists creating site-specific art for Block's new headquarters.

Be Good Smile Pretty

Be Good Smile Pretty tells the story of one daughter's struggle to know her father, who was killed in the Vietnam War. Embarking on a journey of discovery, memory and loss, she confronts a grief shared by the estimated 20,000 Americans who lost their fathers in Vietnam.

Winner of the 2004 Best Documentary Emmy. Produced by KCPT.

Bessie Coleman: Follow Your Dreams

Sandra Campbell performs her one-woman show, "Follow Your Dreams," in front of a live audience at the Gem Theatre. The performance tells the life story of the first known black aviatrix, Bessie Coleman, from her birth in Texas, throughout her hardships, to her decision to leave America and travel to Paris in pursuit of her dreams of flight.

Birds of Wisconsin: An "In Wisconsin" Special

Get remote, urban and inspiringly close to majestic, rare, large and common avian wonders in virtually every corner of the state. Featured are whooping cranes in Sauk County, tundra swans in Buffalo County, great grey owls in Douglas County, common terns in Ashland County and eagles in Cassville. Because of its water-based treasures, 15,000 lakes and the Mississippi flyway, there are nearly 400 species that live in Wisconsin full time or are part-time visitors. Many of those also are depicted in Birds of Wisconsin. The 60-minute presentation is not a how-to of bird watching, but any bird watcher will be inspired by the flocked diversity and people whose lives join wing with birds.

Black & Gold: Remembering the WSU Plane Crash
On October 2nd, 1970 two charter planes carrying Wichita State University football players, coaches and boosters left Denver heading for Logan, Utah. One plane followed the charted course. The other plane deviated from the plan and crashed into the side of a mountain. 31 people died in that crash but 9 survived.

Much has been written about this tragic incident but the story has not been preserved on video for future generations. This documentary retraces the tragedy that forever altered the future of the university and the victims and their families. Black & Gold also looks at how the community and even the nation came together to help Wichita State rebuild and recover.

Produced by KPTS

The Buffalo Flows
The Buffalo River is born in the Ozark Mountains, springing from the hills and into rock framed valleys carved by weather and ageless time. It is our first national river—a place folks fought to preserve. Save the Buffalo was the cry. Don't let her be drowned by her own waters! "They won that battle, and federal protection. And today there is a future that mirrors the past, because the Buffalo flows."

The Buffalo Flows is a one-hour documentary film written and produced by two-time Emmy award winning filmmaker Larry Foley, Professor of Journalism at the University of Arkansas. The film is narrated by Academy Award winner Ray McKinnon, an actor and film director who calls Little Rock home. Trey Marley of Fayetteville does a masterful job of capturing the river's magnificent beauty over four seasons, while Emmy Award winning documentary filmmaker Dale Carpenter, also a professor at the U of A, lends his talent as the film's editor.

For more information, go to http://www.uark.edu/ua/buffriv/

The Canteen Spirit
The Canteen Spirit tells the story of the North Platte Canteen of World War II. The Canteen began as a case of mistaken identity and grew into a legend. At a railroad depot in the middle of America the people of North Platte, Nebraska, and communities beyond offered food,friendship and unconditional love to soldiers they didn't know and who might never return. Six WWII veterans from across America return to North Platte to share their memories and reunite with former Canteen workers for a homecoming, a hero's welcome and a last chance to find lost love at a place they called the North Platte Canteen. Historic film, photos and reenactments create a powerful sense of time and place.

Charles Banks Wilson: From the Ozarks and Beyond
Charles Banks Wilson grew up in Miami, Okla. and achieved a national reputation as one of America's greatest artists. He illustrated more than 65 pure blood Indians representative of their respective tribes and was a renowned portrait artist. Seven of his portraits hang in the Oklahoma State Capitol along with his murals, which illustrate Oklahoma history. This documentary delves into how the Ozarks influenced Mr. Wilson’s work and how Wilson is now influencing the Ozarks.

The Circuit Chautauqua: A Bridge Between Two Centuries

The most in-depth documentary produced about this traveling spectacle of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The viewer will experience what it was like to be a part of the events and see the influential rhetorical "stars" of an era before movies and television. Includes rare interviews with those who attended.

City Ball
CityBall is a feature-length documentary showcasing a year in the life of student athletes in Kansas City's inner city high schools. This project explores the positive role of athletics in the precarious lives of these impressionable students.

"The first time I saw someone get shot, I was 10 years old," says Delfino Jacquez.

It's a stunning statement from the senior point guard at Kansas City's Northeast High School. It's even more striking that the story is not all that uncommon among students in the Kansas City Missouri School District.

Produced by Metro Sports. Buy the DVD.

Community Builder: The Life and Legacy of J.C. Nichols

Community Builder is an hour-long look back at a man whose motto was planning for permanence--and whose developments and real estate ventures shaped a lot of our best known neighborhoods--the Plaza, Brookside, Mission Hills, as well as cultural institutions like UMKC and the Nelson-Atkins Museum. Even though Nichols' name is almost synonymous with suburbs and the automobile, he's found favor these days with many of the planners who call themselves New Urbanists. They see him as a pioneer when it came to developing the kinds of places where people could comfortably live and work, without needing to move on every 20 years or so.

Co-produced by KCPT.

Crossroads of Culture (Shawnee Indian Mission)

Learn a great deal more about those old brick buildings on 53rd Street just off Shawnee Mission Parkway. They're all that remains of a much larger operation, acres and acres of a training center for youth from the Shawnee and Delaware tribes dating back to 1839. Johnson County got its name from the man who founded the mission, and the Union even camped soldiers there during the Civil War, among other things. For more information: Visit the Kansas State Historical Society Web site.

Discovery on the Santa Fe Trail

Discovery On the Santa Fe Trail documents a program for visually impaired kids as set up by Eleanor Craig of the Accessible Arts and the Kansas School for the Blind. The program offers trips for the children to hike and camp in order to help them forge their independence in a really memorable way. The film is part of the Reel Works Teen Film series, so is also made by kids.

Down River and Up Hill

Down River and Up Hill covers the paddle boat race across the 340 miles of wind, heat, bugs, and rain of the state of Missouri. The Missouri River 340 tests the mettle of its competitors from the first stroke in Kansas City to the last gasp in St. Charles.

Drury University Uncut: Live Music from the Best Artists in Kansas City

Drury University Uncut is a live music show designed for a diverse public audience and produced entirely by students with the support of professionals. This episode includes performances from Trampled Under Foot, Jah Roots, Max Groove, Big Smith, Tiff & Hill, Trio Tulsa, Scratch Track, Boru's Ghost, and much more.

Fore more information on Drury University Uncut, go to http://www.drury.edu/duuncut.

The Elders: Live at the Gem

KCPT cameras were rolling at the historic Gem theater in March of 2005 and captured Kansas City's own Celtic tiger...The Elders. During the sold-out concert, The Elders performed in front of an audience of hundreds of loyal fans. But KCPT has made sure that those who didn't make the concert at 18th & Vine will get their chance to see the "gem" of a concert.

The Elders: The Movie

A glimpse into the musical world of a Kansas City band called "The Elders." These six guys mix the influences of traditional Irish melodies and instrumentation with years and years of rock ‘n roll training. And they’ve built up a substantial fan base doing it-- not just here, but in cities across the country that seem to love their particular blend of Celtic rock. One of the band’s biggest fans is KCMO radio’s Mike Murphy, who even featured them on his final show back in December. The documentary mixes footage from a previous visit to the Murphy program with some musical moments in their recording studio.

Gearing Up
Gearing Up, a one-hour documentary produced by KETC in St. Louis and Story House Productions in Washington, D.C. chronicles behind-the-scenes drama and excitement leading up to the 2008 FIRST Robotics National Competition. Teams receive identical robot kits with no instructions and have just six weeks to build a robot capable of performing specific tasks.

For more information, go to http://www.gearingupproject.org/.

Genius Among Us
Few are truly gifted with the mind of a music composer, and for the rest of us, the ability to conjure music seemingly from thin air might be baffling. Genius Among Us follows a group of extraordinary Missouri high school students who spent a week at an MU camp dedicated to music composition. When asked where their compositions come from, many of the students can only shrug, "I hear it in my head." The film depicts an unusual dedication from such a young group, writing music at a surprisingly advanced level.

Greensburg

On May 4th, 2007, Greensburg, Kansas was hit by an EF5 tornado, the most powerful and devastating storm possible; perhaps one of the worst tornados in American history. This twister packed winds of over 200-miles-per-hour and destroyed nearly every inch of Greensburg, including churches, schools, homes, all municipal buildings, and the hospital. In thirty minutes, the town of Greensburg was turned to ruins.

In the film, Greensburg, producer, writer and director, Brian Schodorf travels back to his native state of Kansas to document the destruction. Schodorf talks to Sebelius, FEMA, weather experts, and the people of Greensburg who are now struggling to restore what is left of their lives. After all the deaths, sadness, and destruction, the spirit and courage to rebuild survived. Schodorf captures the spirit of this small town as residents tell their stories of loss and survival.

For more information, visit the official Web site: www.greensburgfilm.com.

Flint Hills: Meditations on a Kansas Prairie

The film tells how the Flint Hills have inspired the lives and work of musicians, authors, artists and residents. It features Dr. Denise Low author and faculty member at Haskell Nations Indian University, Mike Haddock of Kansas State University and author of "Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses," musician and visual artist Gary Gackstatter, Wichita State University geology professor Dr. Collette Burke, Dr. Jim Hoy, author and faculty member at Emporia State University, Jan Jantzen of the Grandview Ranch and 90-year-old Easter Heathman, eyewitness to the Knute Rockne plane crash of 1931. The music of Chapman Stick artist Trevor Stewart and singer/songwriter Gary Gackstatter (both Kansas musicians) accompany stunning imagery of the Flint Hills taken during all four seasons. To order: Visit www.flinthillsfilm.com.

Flyfishing the Ozarks

A Flyfishing adventure on the North Fork of the White River in Missouri, the largest population of Wild Rainbow Trout in the Oark Mountains.

Hear That Train A Comin'

Produced by Nebraska Public Television, That train is the Union Pacific's steam locomotive Challenger, a million pounds of low-tech machinery that's still chugging down the tracks today, thrilling and inspiring people who love what it tells us about our past. The show takes you on some scenic rides through Colorado and out to Cheyenne, introduces you to the conductors and engineers who still man the Challenger, and the mechanics who keep this temperamental beast running.

Jazz at the Gem: A Tribute to Billie Holiday

This is a tribute to Billie Holiday. The folks at the American Jazz Museum realized that had she lived, Lady Day would have been 90 last year.  So they put together a concert with some of the best players around, both local, like Bobby Watson and national, Nneena Freelon and Geri Allen, to play some of the songs for which Billie was best known.

Jazz at the Gem: Josephine Baker

On December 16, 2006, music and dance joined forces at Kansas City's Gem Theatre, saluting the life and legacy of Josephine Baker. Like the Billie Holiday tribute in 2005, KCPT's cameras were there to record the event, which featured vocalist Nnenna Freelon and dancers from the Alvin Ailey 2 troupe.

You can see highlights from this memorable night in this hour-long special Jazz at The Gem: A Tribute to Josephine Baker.

Following individual sets by each, a joint finale of "What a Little Moonlight Can Do" brought jazz and movement together for a rousing finale.

Production funding for Jazz At the Gem has been generously provided by American Century Investments and the Copaken Family Foundation.

Jazz in the Woods

This week, it's a look back at some musical performances that you may have heard in person earlier this summer if you attended Jazz In the Woods.  They call it the largest free festival in a six state area, and it's been going on for quite a while out there in the park-like setting of Johnson County's Corporate Woods.  Heavy on the smooth jazz artists like Spyro Gyra, and Grady Nichols, it also features the Average White Band and others, including singer Erin Bode from St. Louis.  The Overland Park South Rotary Club puts it all together, and wanted to share some Jazz In the Woods with you on ScreenTime.

Besides the entertainment value of Jazz In the Woods, the 3 day event is designed to raise money for three charities chosen by the Overland Park South Rotary Club.  Marillac, TLC and Lee Ann Britain Infant Development received more than $100,000 from the 2006 event.  You can learn more about the annual event by visiting the festivals' website at jazzinthewoods.com.

June 8th: The Topeka Tornado

On the 40th anniversary of the infamous storm, KTWU revisited the stories and memories of the tragedy with "JUNE 8th THE TOPEKA TORNADO.

Hear the reactions - then and now - from those who were there including Bill Kurtis, national television journalist who was the local Topeka TV news anchor warning the public that night, "For God's sake, take cover!" former Topeka mayor Chuck Wright, who tells how he cried as he surveyed the damage; Dr. Jay Antle, Professor of History at Johnson County Community College, explains the facts behind the legend that safety from a tornado would be provided by Burnett's Mound; Dr. Irvin C. Rosen of the Menninger Clinic explores the defining events of the historic storm; and James B. Taylor, Emeritus Professor from the University of Kansas and author of the book, "Tornado: A Community Responds to Disaster," who identifies the psychological aspects of the tragedy.

For more information or to purchase the DVD, go to http://ktwu.washburn.edu/productions/tornado/fury.htm

Kansas City FilmFest 2009

In a special edition of SCREENtime, Randy sits down with Kansas City Jubilee Vice President Jeph Scanlon to discuss and show clips from the upcoming Kansas City FilmFest coming April 22-26.

The Kansas City Free Health Clinic

In celebration of the clinic's 35th year in operation, this film delves into the founding and history of the organization. The documentary features interviews with and stories told by many of the Clinic founders.

KC on the Mat

From the late 1800s to 1988, Kansas City was considered a hotbed of professional wrestling.

The lineage of champions in multiple wrestling organizations can be traced to the City of Fountains, and the fan base was considered to be one of the most rampant.

The wave of professional wrestling success in the city continued throughout the Twentieth Century until 1988, when Vince McMahon's global World Wrestling Federation ultimately put an end to the independent wrestling territories that once filled up America.

Produced by Metro Sports. Purchase the DVD.

The Kansas City Stars: A Quilting Legacy

The Kansas City Stars: A Quilting Legacy chronicles the historical patterns that were published in The Kansas City Star between 1928 and 1961. They were born in the newsroom of The Kansas City Star, the first one, in 1928, called simply, "Pine Tree". Over time, they would represent quilters, both urban and rural, all over the US. These patterns became known as The Kansas City Star and by 1961, the paper published more then 1,000. To this day, it remains arguably one of the largest single pattern collections in the world. This documentary captures the history of the The Kansas City Stars, and includes archival photographs and footage from the era. Some of quilting's most prolific, historians are interviewed on the film, including Babara Brackman, Edie McGinnis, and Jeanne Poore. The ladies of Blackbird Design, Barb Adams and Alma Allen, also offer their insight on quilting.
Purchase the DVD >

KC to Kanorado

For centuries now, native Kansans have endured the unflattering snubs about their home state: flat, boring, nothing to see or do. No, there are no mountains in Kansas, but wind and water have shaped their own peaks. Nor is there a crashing coastal surf, but you’ll find shimmering waves of wheat, majestic swells of prairie, even remnants of an ancient sea. But to see the real beauty, you must venture beyond the margins of the yellow stripes and orange cones of interstate 70. So join us on a journey that crosses 424 miles of the Sunflower state.

Produced by KCPT.
Buy the DVD.

Kansas vs. Darwin

In May of 2005, a 3-member subcommittee of the Kansas State Board of Education held hearings to determine whether Darwin's long-held Theory of Evolution should be challenged in public-school science curriculum. At stake was, in effect, the definition of science for Kansas schoolchildren.

Kansas vs. Darwin takes you inside the hearings to meet the characters who captured the world's attention: school board members who believe their literal interpretation of the Bible trumps modern scientific evidence, and members of the Intelligent Design Network who believe mainstream science is conspiring to suppress evidence that would overturn evolution. You'll also get face to face with an organization of Kansas scientists, educators, and citizens that organizes a worldwide response to put an end to what they see as a religiously-motivated kangaroo court.

For more information, visit the official Web site: www.kansasvdarwin.com.

Katy: Stories of the Trail

Experience the beauty of Missouri's forests and hills, prairies and bottomlands, farms and villages. Visit the people who live and work along the trail, hear their stories, and gain practical tips for your own journey on the Katy. This documentary is your first step into the seasons, the scenery and the lives of people you will never forget.

Produced by KETC.

Keeping the Tradition Alive in Little Dixie: Fiddling in Missouri

This documentary on old-time music in Central Missouri deals with the peculiarities of this musical genre in the region known as Little Dixie and how people carry on the tradition.

Spanish photojournalist Jeronimo Nisa, a recent Missouri School of Journalism graduate, tries to open a window to these people's stories, their music's connection to traditions and to the land, and how land and traditions influence their music. This is Nisa's, a still photographer, very first adventure in the realm of video documentary and he has chosen to do it about a region that, as musicians Barton and Para wrote, "is a great meeting place, between a prehistoric ocean floor and the last ice age, between the eastern forests and the western plains, between America's two greatest rivers, and where the North meets the South."

Live at the Cotillion: Split Lip Rayfield

One might try to categorize Split Lip Rayfield as a bluegrass band with their acoustic guitar, banjo, and a one-string gas tank bass strung with a weed whacker line and nicknamed "The Stichgiver," but their intricate harmonies and wide range of songs that have made them so popular defy any true categorization. Kirk Rundstrom (guitar, vocals), Eric Mardis (banjo, vocals) and Jeff Eaton (gas tank bass, vocals) make up the trio that have built a strong following with their revelatory live shows. This performance at The Cotillion Ballroom in Wichtia, KS, filmed in December 2006 is one of the best. To order: Visit Split Lip Rayfield's Web site, www.splitliprayfield.com.

A Magical Life: Circus Flora

Produced in St. Louis, “A Magical Life” is about a small circus company based in Missouri. For fifteen years or so, Circus Flora has been mixing old school European circus style with modern theater techniques and touring the world with their one-ring extravaganza. It’s the brainchild of a man named Ivor David Balding, and this documentary from 2004 both peeks inside the tent and behind the scenes with a troupe of performers that include members of the famed Flying Wallenda Family.

Meet the Past

Kansas City history has been recorded in many different ways. Books, journals, newspapers, clips on radio and TV... these tell us a lot about the who's, what's and when's of our heritage, but sometimes they can seem awfully dry.

In Meet the Past, Crosby Kemper III, chief executive of the Kansas City Public Library, brings us a fresh twist on the whole notion of local history. He does it by interviewing famous figures in the grand hall of the Central Library. More>

Missouri's First Poet Laureate: Walter Bargen

In 2008, Walter Bargen was named the first Poet Laureate of Missouri. This program by KMOS showcases Mr. Bargen reading some of his works both at home and at the Monserrat Poetry Festival, and talking a bit about the nuts and bolts of writing poetry.

More Than a Game: Six-on-Six Basketball in Iowa

In 1993, the era of girls' six-on-six basketball in Iowa came to an end. This one-hour IPTV documentary takes a look back at the game and what it meant to generations of girls who played it. Produced by IPTV. More information at http://www.iptv.org/iowastories/.

Mr. K: A Common Man With Uncommon Vision
The Story of Ewing Marion Kauffman

This film biography captures Ewing Kauffman's unconventional approach to life as a great American entrepreneur, Major League Baseball team owner, and philanthropist. His remarkable story unfolds through a tapestry of historic footage, memorabilia, home movies, and photos. The visuals are blended with present-day interviews with Marion Laboratories associates, Foundation leaders and others - including Kansas City Royals stars George Brett and Frank White - along with stylized recreations and memorable baseball highlights. Hosted and narrated by Academy Award-winning actor and Kansas City native Chris Cooper, the film also draws upon the Kauffman family's personal archives as well as mementos collected by Kansas Citians.

Nelly Don: A Stitch in Time

In 1916, Nelly Don created a fashion empire and became one of the most wealthy and celebrated American women in business. She lived a fabled life and, were her incredible story not true, it would be hard to believe. To order: Visit www.nellydon.com.

The Next 340 Miles

Filmmaker Jodi Pfefferkorn of Flaming Fiddle Productions, hit the river once again to capture the 2009 Missouri River 340. This follow up to Down River and Up Hill (previously shown on Screentime) for a more in-depth look at what it takes for the participants and their families and friends that support them on the ground to complete this amazing feat.

Oil Dorado: The Life and Times of an Oil Field

From the 1910’s through the 1950’s oil permeated every aspect of life in Butler County. Those in the oil fields found work that was hard and dangerous, but also created bonds that lasted over the decades. Although quiet, the grasslands of modern Butler County still bare traces of the dynamic search for black gold that shapes our lives to this day. Produced by KPTS, Wichita, KS.

Okie Noodling II
In 2001, filmmaker Bradley Beesley brought the strange subculture of bare-handed catfishing to the screen in 'Okie Noodling'. Now he returns to his home state of Oklahoma to see how the sport has evolved over the last decade. Revisiting the colorful, original cast and meeting some new and eccentric fishermen en route to the largest noodling tournament in the nation- this film explores the legalization issues and commercialization of this once backwoods practice.

For more information, visit the official Web site: www.okienoodling.com.

The Old Red Trail

From mud to superhighway, Prairie Public's production "The Old Red Trail" is an historical retrospective of the road we now know as Interstate 94.

Ours to Give: The Long Legacy of an American Family

Eighty years ago, any Kansas Citian would have known the name of Robert Alexander Long. He owned the world’s largest lumber company, and his daughter smashed gender barriers in the show horse world. Today, Long is best remembered locally as the builder of Longview Farm in Lee’s Summit and Corinthian Hall in Northeast Kansas City – the home of the Kansas City Museum.

Ours to Give takes a fresh look at this remarkable family and finds several important legacies for our times. The Long’s story is told through archival photos and film footage, through interviews with people who knew them, and in narration by noted actor Michael Gross.

DVD copies of the Ours to Give are available by calling 1-888-876-2765.

Picture Perfect: Iowa in the 1940's
From 1939 until 1942, Everett Kuntz snapped hundreds of photos capturing everyday life in his hometown Ridgeway, Iowa. But it wasn't until 2002, shortly after learning he had cancer, that Kuntz would print the photos.

Immediately, he noticed how the images preserved a time thought to be lost forever ... a time when America was still emerging from the Great Depression and rapidly approaching a great war.

Yet the photos depict a sense of hope in the people of Ridgeway, an innocence that epitomized the calm before the storm.

Kuntz's photographs show the faces, fields and porches of small-town America before World War II and stand as a historical record of both a bygone time and a rural Iowa that's fading away.

For more information, visit Iowa Public Television's Web site.

Prairie Churches
The prairie is dotted with unique and picturesque churches, many of which are in danger of being lost forever. Prairie Public's hour long documentary, Prairie Churches, preserves images of this priceless heritage.

Produced by Prairie Public Television

Seasons of the Year, Seasons of the Heart

Seasons of the Year, Seasons of the Heart is Charles Gusewelle at his most elemental, reading excerpts from his newspaper columns and books, to a very receptive audience at the American Heartland Theatre.

Smokestack Lightning: A Day in the Life of Barbeque

Vivid scenes of restaurants and barbecue haunts around the country are stirred together with legends and barbecue history in SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF BARBECUE. The program captures the lore and traditions of the barbecue belt and highlights recipes both common and exotic. Based on Lolis Eric Elie's book, SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING explores the history and tradition of this food from its rural beginnings to its present-day incarnations. Though primarily a tradition of African-American communities of the South, barbecue also has roots in the Mexican-American and European immigrant communities. Shot in North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Kansas City and Memphis SMOKESTACK LIGHTNING explores the various traditions that comprise the world of barbecue to determine its role in American culture.

Solomon Butcher: Frontier Photographer

Solomon Butcher, a photographer who took big glass plate photographs in the 1870s, deduced that there was money to be made out on the plains and hauled a pretty imposing camera out there to do it.  This documentary features the pictures that he took and even introduces some of the descendants of the folks who were in them. By using modern digital techniques on the photos, researchers at the State Historical Society have learned even more about the way life was lived back then. To order: Visit Nebraska ETV, netnebraska.org.

Steven Holl: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Bloch Building
Steven Holl is generally acknowledged as one of the most artistically-minded architects practicing today. The Bloch Building for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City is considered the apex of his 33-year career. Here Holl designed a linear series of subterranean galleries from which luminous, sculptural shards of channel glass, which he calls "lenses," emerge from the earth along the eastern edge of the original, 1933 Beaux-Arts museum. In this enlightening visit, Holl takes us through the galleries where contemporary art is displayed beneath curving vaults admitting daylight, a tour effectively demonstrating the convergence of space, time, and architecture.

To purchase the DVD, visit the Checkboard Film Foundation Web site.

Stories from the Dustbowl
The 1930's were a time of great depression, extreme drought and dirt storms. The region of Kansas, the Oklahoma Panhandle, Texas and the Eastern parts of Colorado and New Mexico were referred to as the "Dust Bowl." The settlers of this area faced a tough, harsh climate with adverse temperatures, high winds and a flat landscape. Smoky Hills Public Television presents a special program that tells the story of this critical time in history. It is important to capture the recollections and stories from the past to learn of the hardships of those who survived and continued to make a life and home in Kansas and the plains.

To order the DVD, visit the Smoky Hills Public Television Web site.

Stories Under the Stone

The grave is the most democratic of institutions—the destination to which we all are bound. But the markers that adorn our burying grounds are far from equal. Small and simple, elegant and ostentatious, complex and quirky, these richly varied memorials inspire us to examine the stories under the stone. Travel with writer C.W. Gusewelle in this hour-long documentary, and explore an amazing array of history, artistry, imagery and symbolism just waiting to be discovered in cemeteries across the Heartland. Written and hosted by C.W. Gusewelle. Featuring music by The Kemps.

Buy the DVD.

Sunken Dreams
The film explores the story of William "Coin" Harvey and the resort town of Monte Ne, Arkansas. The 30-minute film was produced by Nathan Crowder, a graduate student in broadcast journalism at the University of Arkansas. When Beaver Lake was created in the 1960s, it enveloped most of Monte Ne. But the story of Harvey and Monte Ne continues to interest area residents and tourists alike. Crowder's documentary is a fascinating retrospective on Harvey and his resort. This film features the original music commissioned by Harvey as well as original photographs, the majority of which are from the collections of the Rogers Historical Museum and the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History. This film also features interviews of relevant experts about the life and times of "Coin" Harvey.

10-J: The History of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City

10-J: The History of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City recounts the contentious process that led to the creation of the Federal Reserve Bank system in 1913. And how, thanks to a strong, united civic effort, Kansas City managed to snare one of only twelve regional banks it had chartered. Susie Gharib of the Nightly Business Report hosts.
Purchase the DVD >

This American Gothic
This American Gothic is a quirky portrait of Eldon, Iowa, population 998, site of the house that inspired one of the most famous paintings in the world. The film follows a group of local women as they work towards their dream of a Gothic House Visitor Center to attract tourists and save their struggling community. The ongoing fascination with the painting "American Gothic" suggests hunger for stories from rural America that This American Gothic both taps into and exposes.

Produced by Iowa Public Television.

Thomas Hart Benton: From the Ozarks & Beyond

The documentary examines Benton's rural roots and how they impacted his art and views on life, focusing on some of Benton's work including the painting "The Departure of the Joads," in the Ralph Foster Museum in Hollister, Mo.; "The Social History of the State of Missouri" in the state capitol at Jefferson City; and the Joplin Centennial Mural in Joplin City Hall. The second section of the documentary reflects on how Benton is, in turn, influencing the Ozarks. The Thomas Hart Benton Festival, a symposium on Benton is shown, the murals of Newton County and Southwest Missouri program are also featured, along with Anthony Benton Gude's painting Neosho's city mural. Gude is the grandson of Thomas Hart Benton. Produced by Ozarks Public Television for the Newton County Tourism Council with Paul Wannenmacher as writer/producer.

Through My Sights - A Gunner's View of WWI

Produced by award-winning filmmaker Linda Haskins, Through My Sights - A Gunner's View of WWI tells the story of Glenn Kappelman, an American gunner in an armored car in the 106th Cavalry Group, who took over 400 unique war-time photographs throughout France, Germany and Austria. Unlike many professional war photographers, Kappelman committed himself to shooting images of average soldiers at the troop level. Remarkably, those precious rolls of film survived. Kappelman and his buddy Art Barkis, who served as a radio operator in the same armored car, narrate this unusual and engaging production. Their down-to-earth recollections, triggered by the events and the candid scenes immortalized in the photos, capture a unique view of WWII that is alternately humorous, sobering and compelling. To order: Call The Raven Bookstore, 785-749-3300

Thunder on the Farm

For 150 years the old brick farmhouse spent the days watching the changing of the seasons, and the passing of the years. After 150 years, the summers pass now as if in just one day. The seasons backdrop is the setting for lifes natural drama. The baby birds grow and leave the nest, the fruit ripens, and the leaves change and eventually fall from the tree. All the while, new houses are being built on the old farmland. They are large, fancy, and expensive. But will these new homes be standing in 150 years?

A Time for Champions

In 1950, the U.S. beat England 1-0 to win a 1950 World Cup match. England had been expected to win the World Cup. It was one of the biggest upsets in sports history.

Five of the starting players on the U.S. team were from St. Louis. They had grown up playing soccer on the streets and fields of working-class Catholic neighborhoods, where a sense of pride fueled their passion for the game.

In 1959, St. Louis University took the first of ten NCAA championships and began a soccer dynasty that would inspire the popularity of the game across the country.

A Time for Champions tells this compelling story through archival footage, still photos and interviews with Yogi Berra, Bob Costas and St. Louis soccer players and coaches.

For more information, or to purchase the DVD, visit the official site.

Timeless Tractors

Produced by Iowa Public Television, Timeless Tractors traces the history of the farm tractor, takes a look at the people who shaped the evolution of farming, and examines at how farm tractors revolutionized American agriculture.

Trustees for the Public: 200 Years of Missouri Newspapers

Two centuries have passed since Joseph Charless, an Irishman, became the first pioneer newspaper publisher in St. Louis. Since his July 12, 1808 issue of The Missouri Gazette. More than 6,000 newspapers have come and gone in the Show-Me State. The Missouri Press Association and its 300 member newspapers celebrate the rich heritage of Missouri journalists, yesterday and today, in this documentary video.

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Two Birds, One Stone: The CCC in Missouri

Filmmaker Phil Helfrich of the Missouri Conservation Department found himself fascinated with the legacy left behind by the Civilian Conservation Corps decades ago an operation that was vital to America during the days of the Great Depression.

To order: Visit www.wsiu.org.

Two Times, One Torch

The story of young people in Missouri carrying the torch for the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC); you'll meet Josh - our torchbearer, other teens, their parents, crewleaders, conservation officials, and some of the surviving members of CCC in this HEC-TV exclusive documentary. Join us for a look into a present day movement sweeping the country - the the YCC (Youth Conservation Corps). Produced by HEC-TV, St. Louis.

Uncovering Ancient St. Louis

Uncovering Ancient St. Louis looks back at the Native American tribes which flourished around the banks of the Mississippi in prehistoric times. The documentary also delves into the Cahokia mounds they built that have been preserved on the Illinois side, and other traces of their presence in the St. Louis metro.

Uniquely Kansas City: A Great Town Rises

This installment looks back on such long-gone venues as the Gillis and Coates Opera Houses, and the Western Gallery of Art; at painters like George Caleb Bingham and John Douglas Patrick; and the city's contributions to the musical style known as ragtime.

Uniquely Kansas City: Making a City Beautiful

Join KCPT on a journey into Kansas City's architectural past, where visionaries and entrepreneurs build their way up from steep bluffs along the river to create a lasting legacy of parks and boulevards, fountains, sculpture and monuments of national renown. This program, originally produced in HDTV (High Definition Television), reveals much of the beauty that is "Uniquely Kansas City."

Uniquely Kansas City: The Golden Age: Kansas City's Artistic Renaissance

As the 20th century began, Kansas City blossomed with artistic activity in its theatres and concert halls. Soon its music, in the form of jazz, would awaken the world. Meanwhile, the birth of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Kansas City Philharmonic and the emergence of the Kansas City Art Institute, marked the 30s and 40s as a golden age in our arts.

Water & Fire: A Story of the Ozarks

Narrator and Kansas City Star Columnist, C.W. Gusewelle says, "We decided to tell the story in a frame of seasons - seasons of the natural world, and seasons of lives." In fact, the story begins with one of the first seasons of the Ozarks, an ancient time when the region was a magnificent seabed of sixty foot sharks and predatory fish. Then it proceeds -- touching on the first native peoples, the early pioneers, and other settlers who depended on the region's rivers and timber for their livelihood.

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Wichita's Old Cowtown

Get an up close and personal look at what distinguishes Old Cowtown Museum as an accredited living history site, unique in America and right here in Wichita. "Cowtown," as it was called in the early 1950s and 1960s, has been open to the public for 53 years. The documentary gives viewers the chance to learn about the history of this cultural attraction that has served millions of visitors, including hundreds of thousands of school children and Girl and Boy Scouts. For those who have not visited the Museum in some time, the documentary illustrates the dynamic interplay between fun and learning that takes place daily at Cowtown. Go behind the scenes of historical interpretation as each interview highlights a different aspect of Wichita, Sedgwick County and southernplains history from 1865 to the 1880's and showcases each part of the 25 acre site such as: blacksmithing, printmaking and the Wichita City Eagle's history, buffalo hunting, cattle driving, the role of the woman, agriculture and commerce.

For more information, visit www.oldcowtown.org

The World of Virgil Ward

Missouri fisherman Virgil Ward