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in three weeks, but heavy rain right before filming started turned the dirt speedway to mud. Doughten changed the film schedule to shoot interior scenes until races could resume on the dirt track. Doughten used 40 De Moines area Iowans as extras and three local race drivers. The film was distributed by
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follows a big-time driver who gets into small-town dirt track racing. The film was shot in Dexter, Iowa, using the Stuart
Speedway. The production company converted a former boat factory in Dexter into a soundstage used for interior scenes in the film. Doughten had planned to film the entire picture
116:(February 16, 1927 – August 19, 2013) was an American filmmaker and producer of numerous short and feature-length films. His film work is credited under numerous variations of his name: with or without the "Jr." suffix or middle initial, and sometimes using the informal "Russ" instead of "Russell".
215:
In 1958, Doughten returned to teaching
English and drama, as well as supervising and directing student productions at South Pasadena High School in California. His former students report that he was exacting in demanding their best efforts, but they were proud of the results and the quality of the
274:
Although
Doughten would eventually produce a total of eight feature films through Heartland, the first two films had lost money, forcing Doughten to take out an SBA loan. The terms of the load prohibited him from making movies, so the company shifted to acquiring and managing theaters.
194:
After completing graduate studies at Yale, while still living on the East Coast, he began working for Good News
Productions in Pennsylvania as a producer, director, editor, and writer. With Good News, he produced feature films, a children's gospel hour, and a
154:
Russell
Doughten, Jr. was born February 16, 1927, on the way to the hospital in Iowa Falls, Iowa. His father was a rural mail carrier. Although Doughten grew up going to church, he notes that he was baptized three times before he was
249:(1966), was the first feature length movie made entirely in Iowa. Doughten employed about 100 Iowans as either extras or in technical slots. The film premiered in Des Moines October 26, 1966. The film was distributed by
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Casting agent
Kimberly Busbee referred to Doughen as "the godfather of independent film in Iowa." He was a regular attendee at Iowa's Wild Rose Independent Film Festival, and had mentored many indie filmmakers in Iowa.
417:
While the films were clearly made on a low budget, and the dated 1970s fashions shown in the early films provide unintentional amusement today, there is no denying the series' influence among
Christian fundamentalists.
236:, in 1965. He formed Heartland to make quality, low-budget films, stating that, "there are two ways of making movies these days, either expensive blockbusters or low-budget pictures. Since we obviously could not make
176:
on an athletic scholarship, but he became more interested in studying drama. After completing a fine arts degree at Drake in 1949, he began teaching
English and drama in Williamsburg, Iowa in 1950.
146:
He has been referred to as "the godfather of independent film in Iowa" and his body of work ranks him as the leading filmmaker in that state. He mentored many indie filmmakers in Iowa.
472:
The volume of work
Doughten produced through Heartland Productions, Mark IV Productions, and Russell Doughten Productions ranks him as the leading filmmaker in the history of Iowa.
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Doughten married
Gertrude Spraugue June 2, 1950 in Evanston, Illinois, while Doughten was performing summer stock in Chicago. He had met Gertrude while attending Drake.
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Doughten was active in the Methodist Church and served in youth ministry and boys' camps as a recreational director and swimming instructor.
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289:. They would produce 12 feature-length Christian films over a 12-year period, including the films that Doughten is best known for, the
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in 1968. Doughten directed the film and produced it under the Heartland label. A story about the excitement of stock car racing,
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is said to be the most widely seen gospel film in the world and has been influential in many conversions to Christianity.
394:—with three sequels telling one continuous story over the course of a decade—had never been undertaken even in
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until after the Rapture, even if not accepting Christ as his savior. With his long, graying hair usually worn in a
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In 1964, he resigned from teaching in California. Having become disillusioned with Hollywood, Doughten returned to
240:, the low-budgeters seemed the answer." Heartland concentrated on good stories rather than star quality actors.
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As soon as Doughten reached enlistment age, he enlisted in the Navy. At one point, he was stationed at
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Doughten continued to produce films through Heartland Productions even during the time the
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159:". After living in several small Iowa towns, Doughten graduated from Chester High School.
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While there had been feature-length Christian films before, including the End Times film
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and the struggles of a small band of believers against an increasingly hostile worldwide
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42:
1419:, vol. 75, no. 77, South Pasadena, California, p. 8, September 23, 1964
139:. Nearly all of his Christian films were shot in various locales in his home state of
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1407:, vol. 70, no. 71, South Pasadena, California, p. 1, September 4, 1958
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of books and films. Doughten's films have been frequently shown in churches and on
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cite Doughten's films as being the primary influence for their million selling
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In 1972, Doughten launched Mark IV Productions in partnership with co-founder
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franchise was continuing. Some of his later credits through Heartland were
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1310:, vol. LX, no. 10, Willamsburg, Iowa, p. 1, December 1, 1949
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Regional Horror Films, 1958-1990: A State-by-State Guide with Interviews
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1298:, vol. LX, no. 171, Mason City, Iowa, p. 3, May 5, 1945
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about an Iowa farm family. He started his first production company,
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In 2001, Doughten was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the
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for 50 years of achievement in presenting the gospel through film.
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Doughten died from a cardiac-related illness on August 19, 2013.
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Doughten appears in all four films as Reverend Matthew Turner, a
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1316:"Gertrude Sprague Becomes Bride of Russell Doughten, Jr."
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and Valley Forge Films to make the 1958 sci-fi classic,
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398:. Doughten's identification of the Antichrist not with
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He left teaching high school in Iowa to study drama at
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Executive producer, writer (screenplay/story), actor
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Executive producer, writer (screenplay/story), actor
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Executive producer, writer (screenplay/story), actor
212:. Doughten worked as Associate Producer on the film.
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After his discharge from the Navy, Doughten attended
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1391:, Sioux City, Iowa, August 25, 2013, archived from
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1360:. Sioux City, Iowa: The Book of Iowa Films Press.
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1401:"New Teachers Named for Pasadena Public Schools"
1322:, Williamsburg, Iowa, p. 6, August 17, 1950
1304:"Drake graduate accepts position in high school"
1383:"Russell Doughten, evangelical filmmaker, dies"
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597:Executive producer, writer (screenplay/story)
228:, initially planning to produce a film called
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1327:Knepper, Marty S.; Lawrence, John S. (2003).
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133:. He was best known for his four-part series
8:
857:Executive producer, writer (original story)
1265:Fannon-Langton, Diane (November 12, 2023),
481:National Religious Broadcasters Association
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740:Producer, writer (story), director, actor
584:Executive producer, writer (story), actor
18:
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1209:"'Fever Heat': Hollywood Comes to Dexter"
379:If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do?
357:events, but did not fully believe in the
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727:Executive producer, writer (screenplay)
714:Executive producer, writer (screenplay)
636:Executive producer, writer (screenplay)
623:Producer, writer (screenplay), director
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1354:Knepper, Marty; Lawrence, John (2014).
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166:. He was honorably discharged in 1946.
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1207:Boardman, Lori (September 16, 1967),
390:, a sweeping, ambitious project like
202:Good News Productions partnered with
7:
1278:Gammack, Gordon (October 8, 1964),
610:Executive producer, writer (story)
308:dictatorship. The tetrad included
1252:Eggers, Jack (December 24, 1999),
353:who has an elaborate chart of the
14:
1597:20th-century American male actors
1254:"Filmmaker is a prophet of sorts"
1220:Bigalke, Ron J. Jr., ed. (2003).
1450:Russell S. Doughten Jr. Obituary
1445:Review of "A Thief In The Night"
1273:, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, p. P8
243:His first movie with Heartland,
220:Launch of Heartland Productions
119:Doughten made both secular and
1215:, Des Moines, Iowa, p. 16
1:
1286:, Des Moines, Iowa, p. 1
1181:. Jefferson, North Carolina:
402:as Ormond had done, nor with
296:. The series dramatizes the
123:. His work included the 1958
251:Crown International Pictures
1431:Russ Doughten Films Website
1159:Knepper & Lawrence 2014
1147:Knepper & Lawrence 2003
1135:Knepper & Lawrence 2014
992:Knepper & Lawrence 2014
930:Knepper & Lawrence 2003
1628:
1592:People from Carlisle, Iowa
1267:"First movie made in Iowa"
1028:South Pasadena Review 1964
1016:South Pasadena Review 1958
373:angles and layered audio.
256:Doughten followed up with
216:productions he directed.
1612:American male film actors
1577:21st-century evangelicals
1572:20th-century evangelicals
1531:
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164:Naval Station Great Lakes
1602:Film producers from Iowa
1582:Film directors from Iowa
1346:10.17077/0003-4827.10655
1175:Albright, Brian (2012).
406:'s sinister view of the
1329:"Iowa Films, 1918-2002"
1183:McFarland & Company
898:Sioux City Journal 2013
632:A Stranger in My Forest
114:Russell S. Doughten Jr.
1357:The Book of Iowa Films
1607:Male actors from Iowa
1587:American evangelicals
1417:South Pasadena Review
1405:South Pasadena Review
671:All the King's Horses
593:Blood on the Mountain
477:WYSIWYG Film Festival
234:Heartland Productions
1501:A Thief in the Night
1487:A Thief in the Night
1223:Revelation Hoofbeats
973:Journal-Tribune 1950
961:Journal-Tribune 1949
579:A Thief in the Night
439:Christian television
420:A Thief in the Night
311:A Thief in the Night
280:A Thief in the Night
136:A Thief in the Night
1521:The Prodigal Planet
1436:Russell S. Doughten
1284:Des Moines Register
1258:The Kerrville Times
1137:, p. 84-86,88.
1073:Fannon-Langton 2023
827:The Prodigal Planet
817:Producer, director
792:Producer, director
766:Producer, director
701:Producer, director
662:Producer, director
649:Producer, director
569:Producer, director
554:Producer, director
526:Associate Producer
339:The Prodigal Planet
1541:Donald W. Thompson
1514:Image of the Beast
1388:Sioux City Journal
1292:"Here & There"
1213:Des Moines Tribune
942:Globe-Gazette 1945
788:Face in the Mirror
749:Image of the Beast
483:presented him the
467:Face in the Mirror
329:Image of the Beast
292:Thief In The Night
287:Donald W. Thompson
269:Paramount Pictures
16:American filmmaker
1549:
1548:
1508:A Distant Thunder
1367:978-0-9904289-1-6
1192:978-0-7864-7227-7
873:
872:
684:A Distant Thunder
675:Producer, writer
539:Writer, director
320:A Distant Thunder
199:recruiting film.
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104:Years active
39:February 16, 1927
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428:Jerry B. Jenkins
174:Drake University
74:Drake University
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23:Russell Doughten
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1395:on June 9, 2020
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723:Heaven's Heroes
619:Happiness Is...
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485:Milestone Award
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184:Yale University
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125:science fiction
121:Christian films
107:1958–1988
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78:Yale University
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64:, United States
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54:August 19, 2013
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45:, United States
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1371:. Retrieved
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1123:Bigalke 2003
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1103:
1040:Gammack 1964
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56:(2013-08-19)
1567:2013 deaths
1562:1927 births
1280:"Iowa Film"
1271:The Gazette
1228:Xulon Press
913:Eggers 1999
813:The Healing
549:The Hostage
498:Filmography
445:Later years
433:Left Behind
365:and shaggy
351:survivalist
302:Tribulation
246:The Hostage
84:Occupations
1556:Categories
1169:References
564:Fever Heat
479:, and the
441:stations.
424:Tim LaHaye
404:Jack Chick
384:Ron Ormond
306:Antichrist
264:Fever Heat
259:Fever Heat
226:Des Moines
157:born again
150:Early life
35:1927-02-16
876:Footnotes
775:Home Safe
697:Nite Song
459:Nite Song
400:Communism
396:Hollywood
355:End Times
230:Heartland
70:Education
606:Survival
521:The Blob
469:(1988).
461:(1978),
457:(1977),
363:ponytail
209:The Blob
130:The Blob
127:classic
93:Director
90:Producer
779:Writer
408:Vatican
336:), and
298:Rapture
238:Ben-Hur
1524:(1983)
1516:(1981)
1510:(1978)
1504:(1972)
1489:series
1364:
1234:
1189:
511:Notes
508:Title
435:series
371:camera
294:series
190:Career
96:Writer
862:1987
849:1984
841:Coach
837:1983
822:1983
809:1983
797:1982
784:1982
771:1981
758:1981
745:1980
732:1980
719:1980
706:1979
693:1978
680:1978
667:1977
658:Sammy
654:1977
641:1977
628:1976
615:1975
602:1975
589:1974
574:1972
559:1968
544:1967
531:1960
516:1958
505:Year
455:Sammy
451:Thief
392:Thief
367:beard
359:Bible
1440:IMDb
1375:2021
1362:ISBN
1245:2021
1232:ISBN
1200:2021
1187:ISBN
801:Rock
426:and
388:1971
344:1983
334:1980
324:1978
316:1972
300:and
141:Iowa
51:Died
29:Born
1438:at
1341:doi
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