[ Florida ]
Movies
Lust For Gold
1622 — When the Spanish Galleon Atocha ran into a violent Hurricane, and sank off Florida’s East Coast, it left the world’s largest treasure, that remained lost for nearly 400 years … GOLDEN LORE.
Stormy Weather
Hurricanes
Coral Reef
Mel Fisher: The Hunter
KEY WEST, FLORIDA
1840
— dave.
1840 — “Reap The Wild Wind” is an adventure set in the Florida Keys, where shipping, salvage, and piracy are the occupations of the time and place.
• Reap The Wild Wind (1942) — Salvors, Underwater, Ship Wrecks, 1840s Key West.
Reap The Wild Wind (trailer)
The Swiss Family Robinson
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
• Seminole (1953) — Categorized as a “western,” Seminole was filmed in the Florida Everglades, and told the story of Osceola, the Chief who led the Seminoles in the Second Seminole War (1835-1842).
— dave.
1868 — Silver Springs was one of the most beautiful stops on the river boat tours of Florida that became popular in the years after the Civil War and Reconstruction. (Ulysses S. Grant) Early Tourism and in the 1930s, Hollywood’s best underwater movie set.
— dave.
1890 — The Ormond hotel provided a 20-passenger launch with a guide for its guest to take day trips on the nearby Tomoka River. The boating party here chose to go out hunting for alligators.
— dave.
The Ormond Hotel — After his first, The Flagler in St. Augustine, Henry Morrison Flagler’s favorite hotel was the Ormond. On the beach, automotive pioneers were racing to see how fast they could go, and he’d sit on the veranda, sipping scotch and smoking cigars with his Gilded Age buddies: John D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford, Harvey S. Firestone, and Thomas Edison.
Henry Morrison Flagler
John D. Rockefeller
Henry Ford
Harvey Firestone
Thomas A. Edison
— Palm Beach (1905)
Fantasy Island — Palm Beach was Henry Morrison Flagler’s first real “stop” on his East Coast Florida Railroad, satisfying his aristocratic search for a tropical paradise. A comfortable location, where he and his more-than-wealthy New York buddies could build oceanside mansions (vacation homes) to where they could ride their own private rail cars down for what became known as “wintering” in Palm Beach. Such multi-dwelling living has since seen seasons used as a verb, as in: Are you “Wintering” in Palm Beach?
Flagler built the first, a grand, white, pillared structure he called “Whitehall.” His home was built with its back facing Lake Worth (The Intracoastal Waterway) with a narrow swath cleared through the jungle that crossed the entire barrier island, ending at the sandy beach on the Atlantic Ocean.
— Palm Beach (1905)
Blowin’ In The Wind
A list of (Hurricane) names, many Floridians would like to forget.
Donna, Andrew, Irma, Wilma, Ian …
— Silver Springs (1934)
Bungle In the Jungle — Much of what was called Africa in the first action/adventure movies, was shot a number of fresh water springs in the jungle of Florida’s interior. Among the most popular, were Silver Springs, Weeki Wachee, and Wakulla.
The Marx Brothers’ first feature-length film
Florida Resort Hotel
1920s Land Boom.
Ormond Beach
— Palm Beach (1905)
Florida Brain Trust — The Ormond Hotel was a favorite gathering spot for Henry Flagler, and his many inventive friends, including: John D. Rockefeller (who he was a partner with in Standard Oil), Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, and Thomas Edison.
Speed Quest — Decades before the Bonneville Salt Flats, those seeking what are called “land speed records” chose the wide, hard-packed, silty sand beaches on Florida’s East Coast, as the best place on planet earth that might satisfy their need (lust) for speed.
Weeki Wachee
Welcome To The (Florida) Jungle
Silver Springs
• Tarzan & His Mate (1934)
Johnny Weissmuller
Maureen O’Sullivan
(pre-Code Hollywood)
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Storm Stories — From the wreck of the Treasure-Laden Spanish Galleon (Atocha), to (Andrew), Miami’s most devastating “natural” disaster, many first-named storms have taken their important position in Florida History.
RADIO DAYS (1987)
BILOXIE BLUES (1988)
THE GODFATHER (1972)
SUMMER OF ’42 (1971)
THE LONGEST DAY (1962)
PT-109 (1963) JFK
1940
• Moon Over Miami (1941) — Betty Grable at the height of her million-dollar leg fame, Picturesque movie set in South Florida. (Trailer)
The 1%
Palm Beach, Jupiter, Manalapan, Ocean Ridge …
MARA-FUCKING-LAGO
• THE PALM BEACH STORY (1942) — Screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, and starring Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea, Mary Astor and Rudy Vallée. Victor Young contributed the musical score, including a fast-paced variation of the William Tell Overture for the opening scenes. Typical of a Sturges film, the pacing and dialogue of The Palm Beach Story are very fast.
1950
— MGM
Esther Williams, Fort Lauderdale, Swimming Hall of Fame, Olympic practice, National competitions
Fort Lauderdale
Esther Williams
Million-Dollar Mermaid (1952) Trailer
Cypress Gardens
Water Ski Show
•Magic City (2012) Starz
•The Godfather II (1974)
1960
•WHERE THE BOYS ARE (1960)
•Where The Boys Are (1960) Newsreel
•Where The Boys Are (1960) Opening Credits
•Where The Boys Are (1960) Trailer
— TV (1965)
• I Dream Of Jeannie (Season 1 / Episode 1) — After orbiting in Stardust One, Astronaut Tony Nelson crash lands on a remote island in the South Pacific. On the beach, he finds a bottle and gets a surprise when he opens it. A beautiful genie appears who is instantly attracted to him, helps him get rescued and then follows him back to Cocoa Beach, Florida.
1960
•The Bellboy (1960)
Jerry Lewis slapstick at the Fontainebleau
•Dr. No (1962)
Many James Bond (007) plot lines had something to do with Florida, NASA, and the America vs. Russia (The United States vs. The Soviet Union) in the race to the Moon.
•Goldfinger (1964)
In a 50 year career, James Bond (007) made frequent trips to Miami, none so notable than his stay at Morris Lapidus’ Fontainebleau Hotel in the opening of 1964’s “Goldfinger.”
•The Endless Summer (1966)
Surfers The Movie (1990)
The Endless Summer II (1994)
Much of the sequel takes place in 1950s Miami Beach and Havana, Cuba.
The Internationally Famous curved structure makes cameo appearances in many movies, and is the featured setting for Jerry Lewis’ “Bellboy,” made in 195 .
• Goldfinger (1964, Third in the James Bond [007] series with it’s Miami Beach opening /TRAILER)
• Polaris (from the river road)
• The Sound of Music / Cocoa Village / State Theater
— Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines
— Grand Prix
— The Nutty Professor / The Bellboy
— The Pink Panther
• James Bond and Florida vs. The Soviet Union
— Dr. No / Rockets / Bahamas
— Goldfinger / Fontainebleu Hotel
• The Bellboy (Jerry Lewis)
• Tony Rome (Frank Sinatra)
• Frank Sinatra / Ava Gardner / The Rat Pack
• Ella Fitzgerald
• Nat King Cole
• Overtown / After Shows
• Dorothy Dandridge
• Morris Lapidus (Architect)
• Frank Sinatra
• Ava Gardner
• Rat Pack
* Jackie Gleason “How Sweet It Is”
New York / Miami Beach — Miami Vice Opening
— Wayne Cochran (Jackie Gleason)
“Goin’ Back To Miami”
— Steely Dan “Doctor Wu”
“Biscayne Bay,
Where the Cuban Children
Laugh All Day.”
— Billy Joel “New York State Of Mind”
“Hopped a flight to Miami Beach”
• Arthur Godfrey
• “When The Beach Was Hot” Tom Austin (Miami New Times)
• “Life On Mars” b/ Alexander Stuart
• “Tourist Season” b/ Carl Hiiasen
• Miami Vice
• Maximum Bob
• Cane (CBS) Sugar: How Sweet Is It?
* “Get Shorty”
• SOBE / Versace / Madonna “Sex”
• “Countdown” b/ Frank G. Slaughter
• “Oranges” — John McPhee
The Fontainebleau
Film Noir with Kathleen Turner and William Hurt (Trailer)
•Absence of Malice (1981)
Paul Newman as subject of Miami Herald reporter Sally Field
In a 50 year career, James Bond (007) made frequent trips to Miami, none so notable than his stay at Morris Lapidus’ Fontainebleau Hotel in the opening of 1964’s “Goldfinger.”
The Internationally Famous curved structure makes cameo appearances in many movies, and is the featured setting for Jerry Lewis’ “Bellboy,” made in 195 .
•Goldfinger (1964, Third in the James Bond [007] series with it’s Miami Beach opening /TRAILER)
• The Happening (1968) Trailer
Diana Ross & The Supremes “The Happening”
• Lady In Cement
• Marley and Me
• Matinee
• Maximum Bob
• Mean Season (Murder Myster with Kurt Russell as a Miami Herald reporter / 1985)
• Miami Blues
• Miami Rhapsody
• Miami Vice
• Moon Over Miami
• Murph the Surf (1975 Biography abouut Miami Beach cat jewel theif Jack Roland Murphy)
• Nude on the Moon
• Ocean Ave.
• Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach
• Poppi
• Porky’s
FLORIDA: A Popular Hollywood Set
• Black Sunday (1977)
• Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise
• Scarface (1980s Miami Cocaine Cowboy w/Al Pacino /1983 /TRAILER)
• Smokey and the Bandit II
• Step Up Revolution
• Striptease (Carl Hiaasen’s funny book made into a “Worst of the Year” movie in 1996 / TRAILER)
Demi Moore Striptease Scene / Annie Lennox “Money Can’t Buy It”
• There’s Something About Mary
• Thunderball
• Tony Rome
• Transporter 2
• True Lies
• Up Close & Personal
• Wild Things
• William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet
• Where the Boys Are (1960 College romp that popularized “Spring Break” in Fort Lauderdale)
Allan Arkush 3-minute “Where the Boys Are” documentary
• Any Given Sunday (1999)
• Bad Boys (1995)
• Band of the Hand (1986)
Miami Vice producer Michael Mann’s first feature-length movie
• The Birdcage (1996)
Dave Barry’s bomb-plot story postponed because of 9-11
Big Trouble Trailer #1 / Big Trouble Trailer #2
• Caddy Shack
• Casino Royale (2006), f
First Daniel Craig 007 / Miami “Anatomy” Art show and MIA
Casino Royale Trailer #1 / Casino Royale Trailer #2
Elvis Presley as a Miami Beach hotel worker and boat racer in the movie that finishes with a race at the Miami Marine Stadium. / TRAILER
• Criss Cross (1992)
Divorced mom Tracy Cross (Hawn) raises her 12-year-old son, Christopher (Arnott), in Key West in 1969 around the time of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Chris narrates the film in voiceover and talks about his “screwed up” life living with his mother in a cheap hotel.
• Deep Throat (1972)
First mainstream X-Rated film made in Miami Beach.
• Inside Deep Throat (Documentary / 2005 / TRAILER)
• Lovelace (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSWW-4NEyto)
• Flipper
• Flying Down to Rio
• Gentle Ben
• Get Shorty
• The Happening (1968 A campy caper movie wAnthony Quinn, Faye Dunaway /TRAILER)
Diana Ross & The Supremes “The Happening”
• Lady In Cement
• Marley and Me
• Matinee
• Maximum Bob
• Mean Season (Murder Myster with Kurt Russell as a Miami Herald reporter / 1985)
• Miami Blues
• Miami Rhapsody
• Miami Vice
• Moon Over Miami
• Murph the Surf (1975 Biography abouut Miami Beach cat jewel theif Jack Roland Murphy)
MIAMI’S MOTOWN
• Deep City: The Birth Of The Miami Sound (documentary)
mid-1960s —
Florida A&M classmates
Willie Clarke — A&M (Rattler) Drummer/Art Education
Johnny Pearsall — Business / Deep City Records
— Florida’s first black-owned record label.
Run out of Pearsall’s Liberty City record store.
Deep City served as a springboard for local talent:
• Clarke and his songwriting partner
• Clarence “Blowfly” Reid
• Willie “Little Beaver” Hale (guitarist/singer)
• Betty Wright (singer)
and groups such as:
• The Moovers, and
• Frank Williams & the Rocketeers.
The label’s influence stretched far beyond the reach of Miami’s city limits. In 2006 a Chicago-based archive label reissued 17 of Deep City’s classic tracks.
A new WLRN documentary delves into Deep City’s lasting legacy.
Deep City Records was founded in the back room of Pearsall’s Johnny’s Records, a shop at
NW 60th Street and 22nd Avenue
Liberty City.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKiJ_DOhrDg
“Deep City: The Birth of the Miami Sound” made festival rounds across the nation, showcasing at SXSW in Austin, Texas, the Cleveland International Film Festival and the Miami International Film Festival.
WLRN will premiere the film on Channel 17
Tuesday, Sept. 23, 9 p.m.
with rebroadcasts throughout the week.
• Nude on the Moon
• Ocean Ave.
• Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach
• Poppi
• Porky’s
• Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise
• Scarface (1983)s
Miami Cocaine Cowboy w/Al Pacino (Trailer)
• Smokey and the Bandit II
• Step Up Revolution 4
• Striptease (Carl Hiaasen’s funny book made into a “Worst of the Year” movie in 1996 / TRAILER)
Demi Moore Striptease Scene / Annie Lennox “Money Can’t Buy It”
• There’s Something About Mary
• Thunderball
• Tony Rome
• Transporter 2
• True Lies
• Up Close & Personal
• Wild Things
• William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet
• Where the Boys Are (1960 College romp that popularized “Spring Break” in Fort Lauderdale)
Allan Arkush 3-minute “Where the Boys Are” documentary
• Wrestling Ernest Hemingway
Where The Boys Are
The Original Spring Break (1960) put Fort Lauderdale on the “place-to-be” map.
Ocean Drive Dance Studio
Step Up Revolution made (very) good use of Ocean Drive and classic Art Deco Hotels as a back drop for the movie’s opening dance scene featuring hip-hop dancers and hydraulic low-riders and muscle cars.
• John Steinbeck (Nobel Prize)
The Grapes of Wrath (1939) Pulitzer Prize-winning novel
The Grapes of Wrath (1940) John Ford-directed movie
Cannery Row (1945) novel
Cannery Row (1982) movie