Smoky Hill River Productions, LLC is proud to announce that they have purchased the historical docudrama “The Contested Plains” from the White Deer Land Museum Foundation in Pampa, Texas.
“The Contested Plains” tells the story of the John and Lydia German family who were traveling by wagon through Logan County in 1874, when they were attacked by a roving band of Cheyenne led by Medicine Water and his wife Mochi. Five German family members were killed and four of the young girls were held captive by the Cheyenne for weeks and months. This original docudrama was produced by Fall River Productions, with actors and historians filming across Kansas and Texas in 2021.
The 2022 docudrama “The Contested Plains” is written by Deb Goodrich and Ken Spurgeon and features Mo Brings Plenty (Yellowstone), Buck Taylor (Gunsmoke, Yellowstone), Mary McDonough (The Waltons), Darby Hinton (Daniel Boone), Wyatt McCrea (Sod and Stubble), R.W. Hampton (award-winning singer/songwriter), Cody Jones (Into the Wild Frontier), Delno Ebie (Love, Courage and the Battle of Bushy Run), Mark Mannette (Sod and Stubble), Nora Graham and Olivia Prue. Featured historians include Michael Grauer, Deb Goodrich, Mike Baughn, Bill O’Neal and Gordon Yellowman. Writer/Director Ken Spurgeon has delivered several Kansas stories to the large and small screen, most recently “Sod and Stubble” (2025), This full-length feature film based on the popular pioneer novel by John Ise is currently playing in theaters all over the US and will soon be available on streaming services.
Smoky Hill River Productions (SHRP) is a Kansas LLC created with the goal of securing this film and sharing it with an interested public, possibly as a revised feature film. SHRP is co-managed by: Lee Ramsey of Lubbock, Texas; Tom Penning of Valley Center, Kansas and Jayne Humphrey Pearce of Wallace, Kansas.
“We are grateful to the many history-lovers all over the US who have made the purchase of this film possible,” stated Jayne Humphrey Pearce, SHRP Managing Board Member. “We are excited about the future for this film, which will tell a tragic story but still convey a sense of hope and courage.”
