Local foreign film enthusiast & proponent Harrison Kash dies

Longtime local International Film enthusiast and impresario Harrison Kash has died.

Kash was a professor of chemistry at MSSU but his first love was foreign cinema.

From 16 mm film prints rented through distributors to securing the rights to screen a movie on DVD, Kash’s stewardship of the film series stretched across five decades and showcased an estimated 500 films. He retired from Missouri Southern in 1997, but remained active in the film presentations.

He lead the International Film Society at the university from the early 1960s to the 2000s.

In 2014, he provided a $50,000 endowment to the Film Society, after which it was renamed the “Harrison and June Kash International Film Society.”

Harrison Kash died this week at his home in Webb City. He was 89 years old.

The film series will hopefully be able to pay tribute to Kash sometime in 2021, possibly by screening one of Kash’s favorites at Joplin’s Bookhouse Cinema – which has partnered with the university for several semesters in screening many of the film selections.