Industrial Networks and Urban Development: Kansas City's Film Row District and National Film Distribution

abstract:Kansas City's film row district was once a vital node in the national network for film distribution. Although historians have examined the spaces of film production (namely Hollywood) as well as of film exhibition (movie theaters), the spaces of distribution have not received much scholarly attention, despite the fact that the film industry depended on them for success. Examining Kansas City's extant film row buildings helps frame the role these spaces served in the nascent film industry and its distribution practices. Moreover, they also serve as a means to understand the role of national networks on local landscapes. In this instance, a national network shaped not only film but also the development of Kansas City as an urban center. The collapse of the business model that created film row districts and advancements in technology led to a period of decline and then abandonment. Kansas City's film row district is now in the midst of revitalization in concert with larger trends in reimagining former industrial places into areas for consumption.