Hollywood kills off Cape, Knoxville

The name Cape Girardeau will not be spoken in the major motion picture "Killshot."

Both the city's name and one of the film's stars, Johnny Knoxville, will be absent when the movie hits the big screen, according to Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle. Swingle is a friend of Elmore Leonard, who wrote the novel on which the film is based.

"Killshot" filmed in Cape Girardeau in January 2006 before moving on to Canada for more shooting.

Leonard was in St. Louis at the downtown public library Wednesday promoting his new novel, "Up In Honey's Room." About 100 people, including Swingle, attended.

Swingle said "Killshot" director John Madden screened the movie for Leonard in Detroit on Tuesday.

Extras wait along Main Street for directions during the January 2006 filming. (Diane L. Wilson)

"He saw the almost-finished version of 'Killshot,' and he said it's very good. That's the good news," Swingle said.

But in the interest of making the film easier to follow, significant cuts and changes have been made, he said.

"When they showed what I would call the first draft to test audiences, they could not figure out what was going on. They decided to go back to drawing board," Swingle said.

That meant turning Cape Girardeau into an unnamed river town and cutting Johnny Knoxville's character, including the scene where he and Diane Lane stroll down Cape Girardeau's Main Street.

"I guess that means I won't see my steamboat tie," said Swingle, who gave Knoxville a tie to wear in the movie.

Swingle thinks other scenes shot in the city will stay in the film. The crew also shot scenes at the Missouri Dry Dock, the Bi-State Southern gas station at the corner of Sprigg Street and Highway 74 and Brenda's Diner on Morgan Oak Street.

Swingle reports the film is scheduled for a fall release date.

tgreaney@semissourian.com

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