After driving to Minneapolis, MN, in October 2015, to see a performance of “Hank and Rita: A Barroom Operetta,” starring Joe Tougas and Ann Rosenquist Fee, and being impressed with the show, Terri Ryburn and Kathi Davis had the idea of making a short film of the act. Fee was known to Ryburn through their interaction at Illinois State University in Normal. Although Ryburn and Davis had no background or expertise in filmmaking, they enthusiastically began the project. They arranged for Tougas and Fee to perform at the local Eagles Club on January 29 and 30, 2016, which was filmed.
Ryburn and Davis formed a production company, “Two Pals Productions,” and the business plan for H&R, LLC. They entered the 16:55 short film in the various film festivals, and in 2017 won awards of Honorable Mention at the Santa Monica Independent Film Festival (SaMo) and Best Drama at the Frozen Film Festival. Ann Rosenquist Fee received Best Actor at the Filmstock Film Festival. Ryburn and Davis decided to expand the short film into a feature film, which never came to fruition. After six years of work, they decided to end the project in 2021 for lack of investment.