4 movie companies have filmed scenes in Texas City

TEXAS CITY — “Texas Killing Fields,” the movie loosely based on a series of murders in Galveston County and set in Texas City, likely will bring some cinematic attention to the city even though the film was shot in Louisiana. Even so, this won’t be Texas City’s first time on the big screen.

According to Listal.com and IMDB.com, four major motion pictures — two of which got Academy Award nominations and wins — were filmed in Texas City.

In the 1983 film “Terms of Endearment,” actors Jack Nicholson and Shirley MacLaine are in a silver Chevrolet Corvette on a beach as Nicholson’s character wildly drives around, at times sitting on the t-top and using his feet to steer. That scene was shot on the Texas City Dike beach.

The film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

That same year, “Silkwood,” starring Meryl Streep, Cher and Kurt Russell was filmed in parts of Texas City.

Residents Bob and Kathy Albright, Mike and Rose Mumey and Felicia Revis had bit parts in the movie. Mike Mumey was even a stand-in for Russell.

Scenes were shot at the old Hyatt Inn Restaurant, Dairy Queen and what then was Monterrey House Restaurant on Texas Avenue near the city’s industrial district.

Streep was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress, while Cher won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.

Scenes for the 1995 movie “Powder” were shot at what then was the closed Danforth Hospital. Powder was a tale of an albino teen who was a social misfit but had unusual powers that caused fear and curiosity among local townspeople.

A year later, “The Evening Star,” the sequel to “Terms of Endearment,” was released and once again MacLaine and Nicholson’s characters returned to the dike beach for a remake of the famous car scene, but close ups were shot in San Luis Pass and in a convertible Chrysler LeBaron.

The movie also includes a scene shot at Clary’s Restaurant and some scenes in downtown Galveston.

Texas City’s connection to Hollywood also includes native John Lee Hancock, a writer and director, whose film “The Blind Side” was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar in 2010.