River to River

Take a Peek at the Award-Winning "River to River" Trailer

 

"River to River" Screens at Museum of Natural History September 20

A Humanities Iowa presentation of "River to River" will take place on Sunday, September 20 at 2pm. The event is free to the public. (A Silos & Smokestacks Heritage Area partner site.)

After a sold out premiere event in Davenport, Iowa at the Putnam Giant Screen, River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6, a new documentary by Emmy® nominated filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films, continues on its film tour to the UI Museum of Natural History, Macbride Hall, 17 N. Clinton, Iowa City on Sunday, September 20, 2015 at 2:00 p.m.  A Q&A with the filmmakers and Carolyn Dyer, author of “Rediscovering Nancy Drew”, Dave Darby, executive director of the U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association-Iowa, and Sarah Horgen from the Museum of Natural History, will follow the screening. This Humanities Iowa program is FREE to the public. Iowa City is among several towns along Iowa’s historic Route 6 featured in the film.

River to River: Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6 guides viewers on a nostalgic classic car journey through yesterday’s soda shops, filling stations, general stores, drive-ins, historic sites and roadside attractions that line Iowa’s U.S. Highway 6.

Photo courtesy David W. Darby, U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association-Iowa.

“With Interstate 80’s near universal use by travelers, Route 6 and the memories that define it have faded from the public’s consciousness,” said director Kelly Rundle of Fourth Wall Films.  “The film is a celebration of a journey.” 

“Most travelers are unaware of the many colorful stories from the past around every turn in the road,” said producer Tammy Rundle. “Iowa’s portion of the transcontinental Route 6 has a past that includes Bonnie and Clyde, Jesse James, Nancy Drew, Jack Kerouac, the Great Race Across Iowa, and others.”

The project was suggested to the Rundles by Dave Darby, Executive Director of the Iowa Division of the Route 6 Tourist Association.

 
"Rediscovering Nancy Drew" author Carolyn Dyer will take part in Q&A at the Humanities Iowa screening of "River to River" and talk about Mildren Wirt Benson's work on the original Nancy Drew book series. 

Several Iowa City sites including the Museum of Natural History and Plum Grove Historic Site are featured in the film, as well as the surprising story of the mysterious author of the original Nancy Drew book series is featured. Karen Mason, curator of the Iowa Women’s Archives, University of Iowa Libraries, and author Carolyn Dyer, sat for on-camera interviews to reveal the story of the popular mystery writer who was born and raised in the small hamlet of Ladora, Iowa off of Route 6, wrote her first published work at age 12, and was the first person to graduate with a Master’s in Journalism at the University of Iowa.

Plum Grove, the retirement home of first territorial governor Robert Lucas (A Silos & Smokestacks Heritage Area partner site.)

The documentary will continue touring from Iowa City along Historic Route 6 with screenings on September 22, 7pm at the Marengo Public Library in Marengo, IA; the 27th, 2pm at the Western Historic Trails Center in Council Bluffs ($8/pp); the 28th at the Roundhouse in Dexter ($7/pp); the 29th in Spaulding Center for Transportation in Grinnell ($7/pp). Showings will continue at film festivals and in art theaters, followed by a national DVD release, and broadcasts on Midwestern PBS stations in 2016.

The Black Angel located in Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City.

River to River: Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6 was funded in part by grants from Humanities Iowa, Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area and the National Endowment for the Humanities through the documentary’s fiscal sponsor, The Iowa U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association. 

For more information about the documentary, visit Highway6Movie.com.  For more information about Historic Route 6 in Iowa, visit http://usroute6iowa.org/.

To preorder the River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 click HERE!

Production on "River to River" Nearly Wrapped

Iowa U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association's Executive Director Dave Darby holds up his latest historical acquisition. Highway 6 is his passion, he says.

Filming on the new documentary River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 by Emmy-nominated filmmakers Kelly & Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films is ready to wrap.

Recent production work was completed: at Dexter, Iowa--where Bonnie & Clyde's famous 1933 shoot-out at historic Dexfield Park took place; at the University of Iowa's Women's Archives in Iowa City-- where "Nancy Drew" author Midred Wirt Benson's collection is housed; and a recap interview filmed with Dave Darby, Executive Director of the Iowa U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association.

"There are several more towns along Iowa's Route 6 in which we will be filming," said producer Tammy Rundle.  "It has been a long and remarkable journey for us.  We have met so many incredible people; driven the open road with beautiful classic cars and taken in the most breathtaking landscapes imaginable; visited fascinating museums, parks, historic sites,  fun shops and quaint motels; taken in a movie at a drive-in; eaten at some of the best diners, supper clubs and restaurants on the map; and we look forward to sharing the film in theaters and venues all along Highway 6 next year!"

Follow our progress and LIKE us on Facebook by clicking HERE!

For more information about the award-winning documentaries created by Fourth Wall Films, visit www.FourthWallFilms.com.  DVDs of the Rundles' award-winning films are available at: http://fourthwallfilms.com/dvds.htm.

The U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association is a Not-for-profit IRS 501 (c) (3) charitable organization dedicated to the economic development and cultural preservation of inner-cities, small towns and rural communities located along all 3,652 miles of the Grand Old Highway, a.k.a. as the "Grand Army of the Republic Highway".  The Iowa Association is part of this national organization.

Rosemans Interviewed for Highway 6 Documentary Film

Route 6 road scholars Curtis and Elizabeth Roseman share their collection with the River to River: Highway 6 filmmakers during their interview session.

River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films sat down with Highway 6 scholars Curtis and Elizabeth Roseman to talk on camera about their research, experiences, and massive archive of Route 6 maps, postcards, photographs and memorabilia they have gathered over the years of traveling what was once America's longest transcontinental highway.

The husband and wife team collaborated to create an interactive website (http://www.heritagedocumentaries.org/Route6/index.html) dedicated to collecting and compiling information on the highway.

You won't find Route 66 memorabilia in the Roseman home.  It's all about 6.  

"Half the digits and twice the kicks," smiled Curtis Roseman.

River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 will be released theatrically in the fall of 2014.

Humanities Iowa Awards Grant to “River to River: Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6” Documentary Project

Filming at the Amanas off of Highway 6.

Emmy®-nominated filmmakers Tammy and Kelly Rundle of Fourth Wall Films have received a major grant from Humanities Iowa to partially fund production on their new documentary River to River: Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6.  The Iowa U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association is the fiscal sponsor for the film project.

“With Interstate 80’s near universal use by travelers, Route 6 and the memories that define it have faded from the public’s consciousness,” said producer Kelly Rundle.  “We are very grateful for this key grant from Humanities Iowa that helps us preserve and tell another unique and important Iowa story.”

Filming at the Sugar Grove Vineyards and Gathering Place in Newton, Iowa.

River to River: Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6  guides viewers on a nostalgic classic car journey through yesterday’s soda shops, filling stations, general stores, drive-ins, and roadside attractions, and encourages them to experience the stories, sights and sounds, the people and the places that line Iowa’s Route 6.

“Most travelers are unaware of the many colorful stories from the past around every turn in the road,” said producer Tammy Rundle.  “Iowa’s portion of America's longest highway has a past that includes Bonnie and Clyde, Jesse James, Nancy Drew, Jack Kerouac, just to name a few.”

Highway 6 runs right through Nancy Drew author Mildren Wirt Benson's hometown of Ladora, Iowa.

Production continues this summer during the 2013 River to River Classic Car Cruise which takes place August 23-25 starting in Davenport, Iowa and ending in Council Bluffs, with stops at sites, eateries and celebrations in towns along the way.  The Cruise is sponsored by the Iowa Route 6 Tourist Association and Dahl Ford.  Proceeds benefit The Children’s Therapy Center of the Quad Cities.  More information about the Cruise can be found at www.route6tour.com/Route6iowa.htm. 

2012 River to River Car Cruise stop in Durant at Hill of Beans Bistro.

River to River: Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6 is funded in part by grants from Humanities Iowa, Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.  The film will be released in 2014. 

The Rundles own Fourth Wall Films, an independent film and video production company, and have produced the regional Emmy® nominated documentary Country School: One Room – One Nation; the award-winning film series Lost Nation: The Ioway 1, 2&3, and the critically-acclaimed documentary Villisca: Living with a Mystery.  For more information, visit www.FourthWallFilms.com.  Visit the Highway 6 Movie Fan Page on Facebook and click LIKE!

First Phase of Production Completed on "Highway 6" Documentary

A gem of a place off of Iowa's Highway 6! The Museum of Natural History in Iowa City--a SSNHA partner site.

The first phase of production on the new documentary River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 by Emmy-nominated filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films has been completed.  The Rundles spent much of August and September filming after receiving a grant award from Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area (SSNHA) through their fiscal sponsor KPTS-PBS in June.

"The grant allowed us to shoot footage along the eastern section of Route 6 between Davenport and Des Moines," said producer Tammy Rundle.

"A number of SSNHA partner sites are located along the historic highway and will be of interest to motorists and tourists who have chosen the two-lane scenic route over the busy I-80 Freeway," said director Kelly Rundle.

Not directly on Route 6, but worth the short hop, skip and jump is the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch.

The SSNHA Iowa Highway 6 journey included the Family Museum in Bettendorf; the Putnam Museum of History and Natural Science in Davenport; the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch; the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History, and the Plum Grove Historic Home in Iowa City.

A lovely place to stretch your legs in Coralville, Iowa is the Iowa River Gazebo and Pedestrian Bridge.

Just off of Route 6 in Coralville, footage was gathered at the Iowa River Gazebo and Pedestrian Bridge, and the 1876 Coralville School House. 

F.W. Kent Park near Oxford, IA is a must stop for a scenic picnic off of Historic Route 6. 

Late summer footage of scenic prairies, wildflowers and wetlands was gathered at F.W. Kent Park directly off of Highway 6 near Oxford, Iowa.  A remnant of Old Highway 6 can be found near the entrance of the park. 

The Amana Colonies off of Route 6.

Highway 6’s scenic drive to the Amana Colonies produced beautiful images of numerous historic structures built by the Germans who settled there in the mid-1800s.

Sugar Grove Vineyard and Gathering Place in Newton, Iowa.

An Historic Highway 6 Classic Car Cruise, organized by Dave Darby of the Iowa Route 6 Tourist Association, provided energetic and colorful images of motorists enjoying the historic route in restored vintage automobiles.  The cruise began in Davenport and ended in Council Bluffs.  

Classic cars gathered at the Valle Drive-In in Newton, Iowa after a Historic Route 6 road tour.

A highlight in Newton, Iowa was a gathering of the classic cars at the Valle Drive-In at dusk.  Also in Newton, the Jasper County Historical Museum and Sugar Grove Gathering Place were filmed.

Kelly Rundle and State Historical Society Curator Jack Lufkin pose in front of a rare Mason automobile.

Footage was gathered at a number of sites in Des Moines, including Living History Farms, and the State Historical Society.  A rare Mason automobile designed by the Duesenberg brothers and manufactured by the Maytag-Mason Motor Company in Des Moines in 1910 was filmed during the visit.

Final production on the documentary will take place in the spring of 2013.  River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 is slated for release in late fall of 2013.

Dave Darby, Executive Director of the Iowa Route 6 Tourist Association.

Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, a non-profit organization, is one of 49 federally designated heritage areas in the nation and is an Affiliated Area of the National Park Service.  Through the development of a network of sites, programs and events, SSNHA's mission is to interpret farm life, agribuisiness and rural communities--past and present.

 

Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area Awards Grant to New Documentary on Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6

Dahl Ford of Davenport took part in the Highway 6 Classic Car Cruise during
preliminary production in 2011. The Rundles are grateful for the support of
SSNHA and Dahl Ford on the Highway 6 documentary project.

 

Award-winning Quad City filmmakers Tammy and Kelly Rundle of Fourth Wall Films have received a grant from Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area (SSNHA) to partially fund production for their new documentary River to River: Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6.  KPTS-PBS is the fiscal sponsor for the film project.

“We are very grateful to SSNHA for its support of this exciting project,”
said producer Tammy Rundle.  “The grant will help us gather footage along the
eastern section of Highway 6 between Davenport and Des Moines.”

 

The Highway 6 documentary will feature several SSNHA partner sites.

Inspired by the research and photography of Dave Darby, President of the Iowa U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association, River to River: Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6 will guide two-lane motorists from Davenport on the Mississippi to Council Bluffs on the Missouri on a nostalgic classic car journey through yesterday’s soda shops, filling stations, general stores, drive-ins, and roadside attractions that line Iowa’s part of the second longest transcontinental highway in the U.S.A.

"To really see America and get the stories, and meet new friends along the way, you have to get off the interstate and take the road less traveled." Darby said. "Highway 6 invites you to slow down, take in the scenery, and rekindle your love of driving."

Preliminary production on the documentary began in the spring of 2011 in Wilton, Iowa at the Wilton Candy Kitchen, where 92 year-old George Nopoulos and wife Thelma continue the Kitchen’s 150 year tradition of making homemade ice cream and confectionaries.

“It’s Iowa’s version of Route 66.  This is our romantic little highway,” said Dimitri Makedonsky during an interview for the film.  Makedonsky and fiancée Colleen Klainert are the proprietors of the Ladora Bank Bistro, a popular wine bar housed in a restored 90-year-old bank in the village of Ladora, Iowa right on Highway 6.

A 290-mile Highway 6 Classic Car Cruise organized by Dave Darby was shot during the summer of 2011.  Davenport’s Dahl Ford took part in the tour and is a supporter of the documentary project.
River to River: Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6 is slated for release later in 2013.

The Rundles are the owners of Fourth Wall Films, an award-winning independent film and video production company (Country School: One Room – One Nation, Lost Nation: The Ioway, Villisca: Living with a Mystery) formerly located in Los Angeles, and now based in Moline, Illinois.

Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, a non-profit organization, is one of 49 federally designated heritage areas in the nation and is an Affiliated Area of the National Park Service. Through the development of a network of sites, programs and events, SSNHA's mission is to interpret farm life, agribusiness and rural communities-past and present.

The Road Less Traveled

A scene from River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6.  Fourth Wall Films.

The new documentary River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 went into production and on the road in 2011 with a fabulous Classic Car Cruise organized by Dave Darby (Executive Director of the Iowa U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association).  The shoot began in Davenport, Iowa and ended in Council Bluffs, Iowa. 

In his book Highway 6: The Long and Lonesome Highway, Darby wrote:

"In the hustle and bustle of today's traffic, it is easy to forget a simpler time, when things moved less quickly.  In the old days, the highway didn't bypass the cities and towns, but rather, served them.  When you stopped to get gas, or a meal, you weren't greeted by an employee of a chain, but more likely by the owner of the establishment, who was happy to swap stories and help a traveler in need.

On the interstate, you can stop and get gas, swipe your credit card at the pump, and not have any interaction with another human being.  This is great if you are in a rush to get to where you are going.  But the time saved comes at the cost of the experience.  Where before, you had time to touch and be touched by the lives of others, all the humanity, not to mention, the scenery, has been removed from travel.

Most people who cross this vast country of ours travel on Interstate 80, which will take you all the way coast to coast.  But few realize that long before the existence of this behemoth interstate, people traveled on another road.  Not the famed and more glamourous Rt. 66, but Highway 6.  Highway 6, at its peak, traveled over 3,652 miles, from the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, all the way to Long Beach, California.

This road less traveled, the "Lonesome Highway", if you will, still exists, and can offer a rich and rewarding experience, in the form of its largely rural scenery, old structures, small towns and even more importantly, the people.

Highway 6 invites you to slow down, take in the scenery and rekindle your love of driving."

Production on River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 will continue in 2012, capturing stories in the hidden hamlets and colorful big cities along the way.  Release of the film is slated for 2013.

We are taking the road "less traveled" and it IS making all the difference!

~Kelly & Tammy Rundle, Fourth Wall Films

 

"Highway 6" Documentary Production Continues

 
Dave Darby, Executive Director of the Iowa U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association.

Filming continues on the new documentary River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 by producers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Fourth Wall Films.

Dave Darby, Executive Director of the Iowa U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association, and the author of The Lonesome Highway: Your Guide to the Original Highway 6, sat for an on-camera interview and talked about the two-lane highway that is his passion.

"Having grown up on Highway 6 in Davenport, Iowa, I watched many changes take place.  Businesses came and went," Darby said.  "The more I study Route 6, the more history, and more special people, places, and things I discover."

Darby had just returned from a two-week Highway 6 (also known as the Grand Old Highway) road trip east to Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

"To really see America, and get the stories, and meet new friends along the way, you have to get off the interstate and take the road less traveled," Darby said.  "Find those hidden treasures.  Highway 6 invites you to slow down, take in the scenery, and rekindle your love of driving."

River to River: Iowa's Forgotten Highway 6 will guide viewers on a nostalgic classic car journey through yesterday's soda shops, filling stations, general stores, drive-ins, and roadside attractions.  The documentary is slated for release in 2012.

The U.S. Route 6 Tourist Association is a Not-for-profit IRS 501 (c) (3) "Public Charity" Corporation dedicated to the economic development and cultural preservation of inner cities, small towns and rural communities located along all 3,652 miles of the Grand Old Highway.

Highway 6 Cruise to be Filmed for New Documentary

Route 6 photo courtesy Dave Darby.

Release written by Kimberly Sloan:

Davenport, Iowa – Classic car and hot rod owners, start your engines and get ready for some cruising!

The Iowa division of the US Route 6 Tourist Association is teaming up with Fourth Wall Films to sponsor a classic car ride across Iowa along old Route 6 as part of a shoot for an upcoming documentary film about the scenic and historic attractions along US Route 6 in Iowa.

The ride begins from the east in Davenport, Iowa from June 10-11, 2011. Drivers are invited to join for all or part of the cruise as they travel west along Route 6, stopping at various localities. The itinerary is still being developed but will include stops at:

Friday:
Starts off at the historic entrance to Iowa, the Government Bridge in Davenport. Meet at noon Friday June 10th. Group Leaves at 12:30.
The Wilton Candy Kitchen - Wilton, Iowa (world's oldest ice cream soda fountain).
Happy Hour at the Ladora Bank Bistro - Ladora, Iowa.
Dinner at the Carnforth Inn – Victor, Iowa.
Valle Drive-In - Newton, Iowa (Iowa's oldest drive-in movie theater).
Overnight in Newton.
 
Saturday:
Breakfast at mid Town Cafe in the historic Maytag Hotel at 9 AM
Tony's Classic Cars - DesMoines, Iowa. (T-Bird restoration HQ)
Bonnie & Clyde historical site, and Drew's Chocolates - Dexter, Iowa.
Bonnie & Clyde bank robbery site - Stuart, Iowa.
Lunch at the Menlo Café – Menlo, Iowa.
Joining up with the White Pole Road Cruise-In on Saturday.
Jesse James Train robbery site – Adair, Iowa.
Atlantic - Coca Cola capital of Iowa.
Explore the scenic Loess hills in Council Bluffs.
 
Interested drivers may contact Iowa Route 6 Executive director Dave Darby at (563) 499-8211, or through email at [email protected].

Fourth Wall Films is also looking for three classic cars willing to be “camera cars” to help set up film shots along the way.
 
There is no charge to join the cruise, but participants will be responsible for their own travel expenses. Group rates for Friday night's lodging to be announced this week.
 
The film is called River to Road: Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6. The film’s mission is to educate the public about the history and original route of Highway 6, and to increase awareness, traffic, and commerce in the towns along its path.

“We want to encourage people to leave the interstate and head out on the old two lane highway, to leave the rat race of today’s world and to stop and smell the roses,” says Iowa Route 6 Tourist Association Executive Director David Darby. “Not only is it more enjoyable, but it benefits the local economy.”

Darby, as director of the non-profit organization, works to encourage state and local government to place historical signage designating Route 6 roads; preserve historical buildings, bridges, and alignments along Route 6; and to encourage co-operation of communities along the highway to hold festivals, concerts, car shows, and more to boost tourism and traffic to local businesses.

A firm believer in buying local, Darby says “When you go to a chain restaurant, the experience is soon forgotten. But when you go to a mom and pop establishment, you can make friends, capture some history, and take with you memories that last a lifetime while the money stays within the community.”

That’s why his first stop with Fourth Wall Films was to record a segment on the Wilton Candy Kitchen, the world’s oldest ongoing ice cream parlor and soda fountain. Founded in 1860 by RA McIntyre, the Candy Kitchen has been in the Nopoulos family since 1910 and is currently run by George and Thelma Nopoulos. Filming for the inaugural segment took place on Saturday, March 26, and over the summer Darby and Fourth Wall Films will be traveling through Iowa along Route 6 to film more footage.

Fourth Wall Films, out of Moline, Iillinois, is owned by award-winning documentary filmmakers Tammy and Kelly Rundle. Having received acclaim for their previous films, including Villisca: Living with a Mystery, Lost Nation: the Ioway, and Country School: One Room - One Nation, River To River is slated to be released in late 2011.

Once the film is complete, Darby plans to publish a book he’s authored called From River to River: Your Guide to the Original Highway 6 to further encourage drivers to use Route 6 over the interstate for their travels.

“In such an impersonal world, it is a joy to take off on an adventure along the heartland of America, and breathe in exactly what America was built on,” Darby says. “Instead of a flat, straight pair of lanes interrupted by only green signs and overpasses, the rolling fields and curving roads undulate under your wheels in between the small towns that are filled with friendly people.”

For more information or to make a tax-deductable contribution to the non-profit organization for the film project, please visit the Route 6 Tourist Association online at www.route6tour.com or email [email protected].

David W. Darby, Executive Director
Iowa Route 6 Tourist Association
[email protected]
2004 Belle Ave.
Davenport, Iowa 52803
Phone:(563) 499-8211

Route 6 photo courtesy Dave Darby.

Fourth Wall Films Announces U.S. Highway 6 "Road Trip" Documentary

More details soon!

Inquiries: [email protected]