Movies Made In Missouri

While it’s not Hollywood, there have been nearly one hundred movies made in Missouri from the earliest times in the industry to the present day. Jim Erwin tells the stories of the films and their stars-from Tom Mix’s and Walt Disney’s first movies to latter-day films featuring Henry Fonda, George Clooney, Ben Affleck, and Kevin Costner. Using film clips, movie stills, publicity posters, behind-the-scenes shots, and present-day photos of filming locations, Jim tells the stories of the hits, the flops, the famous and the obscure productions made in the Show Me State.

Jim Erwin practiced law in St. Louis for 38 years. He is the author or co-author of eight books on various local history subjects, including the Civil War in Missouri, steamboat disasters, and 200 years of notorious crimes in Missouri. His latest book (with his wife Vicki) is Ulysses and Julia Grant’s Missouri Love Story, published by the History Press in 2025. They have not written a book about movies made in Missouri, but they would like to.