Colorado Springs in popular culture

Colorado Springs has been the subject or setting for many books, movies and television shows, and is especially a frequent backdrop for political thrillers and military-themed stories because of its many military installations and vital importance to the United States continental defense.

Interactive Media

• In the second Allied mission of Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, the player is required to recapture the United States Air Force Academy from Soviet forces.
• In the game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a cut scene zooms into Colorado Springs and shows an x-ray of NORAD, as they communicate the tracking of a nuclear missile fired from a Russian sub.

Movies

• One Minute to Zero (1952), starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell, was filmed at Camp Carson (now Fort Carson). Russell and Mitchum visited St. Francis Hospital's polio patients.^[1]
• The Lawyer (1970) was filmed at Penrose Library, Banning-Lewis Ranch and other El Paso County sites. Barry Newman starred in the television movie.^[1]
• Ice Castles (1978), starring Lynn-Holly Johnson and Robby Benson, was filmed in Colorado Springs at the Broadmoor World Arena.^[1] Members of the Broadmoor Skate Club served as extras in the film. Although it no longer stands, the Broadmoor World Arena was located on the southwestern side of the lake at The Broadmoor resort complex.
• WarGames (1983) was partially set at North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit (1987) scenes were filmed at The Broadmoor resort.^[1] Several courtroom scenes in the Perry Mason movie series were filmed in the courtroom exhibit at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum (formerly the El Paso County Courthouse).
• The Incident (1990) was filmed in the courtroom exhibit at the Pioneers Museum. It starred Harry Morgan and Walter Matthau.^[1]
• Switchback (1996) scenes were shot at Pioneers Museum. Danny Glover and Dennis Quaid starred in the film.^[1]
• Independence Day (1996) mentions NORAD being taken out by the invading aliens, killing the vice president.
• Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) was partially set at NORAD. A closing scene features an exterior shot of The Broadmoor.
• Strangeland (1998) was filmed in Colorado Springs.^[1]
• The Sum of All Fears (2002) is a movie in which the Russian president asks a military adviser how many people live in Colorado Springs, as he weighs the ramifications of the use of nuclear weapons against the city.
• Miracle (2004) depicts Herb Brooks interviewing for the head coaching job for USA Hockey in Colorado Springs, and later has the try outs at the former Broadmoor World Arena.
• The Prestige (2006) dates itself to the years 1899 or 1900. It includes Colorado Springs as the home of inventor Nikola Tesla, played by David Bowie. The Cliff House in nearby Manitou Springs is the basis for the hotel used in the film.
• Fast Food Nation (2006) depicts Colorado Springs as the fictional town of Cody. The movie features shots of Colorado Springs, including the McDonald's restaurant on Academy Boulevard at San Miguel Street.
• Fast 7 was filmed on Colorado Springs Hwy 50 and around Monarch Pass in the Rocky Mountains.

Television

• Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, an Emmy Award-winning dramatic television series starring Jane Seymour, was set in this city. The character was based on a woman from nearby Cripple Creek and the majority of the events and settings were fictional. Filming was done at the Paramount Ranch near Agoura Hills, California.

"Stargate" Fountain

"Stargate" Fountain close-up

• The TV series Stargate SG-1 has several episodes which take place in Colorado Springs; SGC is based out of nearby Cheyenne Mountain, and most of the team members reside in Colorado Springs. The new Julie Penrose Fountain and two Egyptian style obelisks (in background) located in the America the Beautiful park in Colorado Springs resemble elements of the show.
• The titular characters' home in the Adult Swim cartoon The Venture Bros. is located in Colorado Springs.
• In the South Park episode "Super Fun Time", one of the workers at the Pioneer Village the boys visit is said to be from Colorado Springs.
• In the South Park episode "ManBearPig", the boys visit the Cave of the Winds located in Manitou Springs.
• The TV series Here's Lucy Season 2 Episode 1 and 2 are a part of a season premiere titled "Lucy Joins the Air Force Academy". Aired in 1969 it is extensively filmed on the campus of the Air Force Academy.
• Several episodes of Dog the Bounty Hunter were filmed in the city, usually identified as "Denver, Colorado". Dog occasionally made the local and national news during the filming in the city, especially for an alleged shooting the show aired as "Easy Rider" in its seventh season.
• The last three episodes of the first season of Revolution were set in Colorado Springs in an underground facility known as "The Tower".
• Homicide Hunter an Investigation Discovery series that showcases retired Colorado Springs police detective Lt. Joe Kenda. In each episode, he recounts a murder investigation on which he worked, going from the 911 call to the final resolution of the case. Many landmarks throughout the city are depicted.
• In Lassie Season 8 episode "Bird of Prey" airing on 02/04/62 Ruth and Timmy tour the Air Force Academy

Print Media

• Clive Cussler sets a chapter of his thriller Cyclops in Colorado Springs.
• Robert A. Heinlein lived in Colorado Springs during part of his career, and built a custom home that was featured in Popular Mechanics.^[2] In his novel The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Colorado Springs is destroyed by an attack on NORAD. His novel Farnham's Freehold is also based in Colorado Springs.^[3]
• Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz lived briefly in Colorado Springs in 1951, on North Franklin Street. Linus and Lucy Van Pelt, characters in the comic, were neighbors. In 2001 a wall in the home, painted by Schulz with some of the Peanuts characters, was donated to the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California.
• L. Ron Hubbard's novel Battlefield Earth takes place near Colorado Springs with part of the human resistance using the United States Air Force Academy in northern Colorado Springs as their base.

Music

• America the Beautiful was written by Katharine Lee Bates inspired after a visit to Pikes Peak and has become a staple in American History.
• The self-proclaimed "genre-less" band, OneRepublic (Mosley/Interscope/Columbia Records) is based out of Colorado Springs. Formed in 2002 by Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, the band won the Best Hook Up (shared with Timbaland) award in the MTV Asia awards in 2008 and their album Dreaming Out Loud has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
• Front-man Stephen D Duffy from the alternative/punk rock band, The Stick People (EFM/Bungalo/Universal Music Group) which features Queensrÿche guitarist Mike Stone, is based in Colorado Springs, the band's first commercial interview was hosted by local 103.9 KRXP with producer Dito Godwin and interviewed by KRXP's DJ Ian James in early 2010.

Other

• Colorado Springs has been a featured Santa Cam location, since the start of Santa Cam use with the 1998 NORAD Tracks Santa tracking season.^[4]

References

1. Andrew Wineke (October 27, 2005). "Willis and crew film at Springs restaurant:Other movies filmed in Colorado Springs". The Gazette (Colorado Springs, CO). Retrieved January 29, 2015.
2. Stimson, Thomas. "Robert & Virginia Heinlein's Colorado Springs House". Popular Mechanics. Archived from the original on 2010-03-07. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
3. Stimson, Thomas. "Robert & Virginia Heinlein's Colorado Springs House". Popular Mechanics. Archived from the original on 2010-03-07. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
4. NORAD Tracks Santa - Dec 2009 - Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA - English from YouTube