Miami Movie - The Specialist (1994)

[airtommy]

As a film critic, I wouldn't rate "The Specialist" very highly (except for the excellent musical score). However, this is my absolute favorite Miami movie because of the scenery. Let's discuss the locations!

[airtommy]

Posted by MATT5 on 28 December 2006I agree the locations used in Miami are very good Marlin Hotel/ Ocean Drive/ Miami River/ Bank of America Tower . I also love that shot when they drive off at the end and it spans the Macarthur Cswy/ Port of Miami and Miami Skyline.======================================Posted By DanJ on 28 December 2006"The Specialist" used many familiar Miami Vice locations. But I find this to be one of the film's most unique locations; the exterior of May's dwelling (For some reason I'm inclined to believe, as of this post anyway, that the interiors were filmed elsewhere.). Click the link for a most interesting history of this property:870 NW 11th Street Miamihttp://www.historicpreservationmiami.com/hindu.htmlThis was not used in Miami Vice as far as I can tell, and I can't help but wonder why...======================================Posted by MATT5 on 28 December 2006very interesting DanJ . Another location used was The Biltmore Hotel Swimming Pool for the exploding tea tray scene . Now the Biltmore Pool was never seen in MV but the exterior and interior was seen in "Back in the World", "Freefall" and used extensively in "Line of Fire " from Season 5.======================================Posted by DanJ on 28 December 2006That sounds right, Matt.I just remembered that in Miami Vice the closest they came to the Hindu Temple was a bridge on NW 7th Avenue and 7th Street. I'm spacing out on which episode that was, though - SoFlaJeremy help me out here...======================================Posted by airtommy on 28 December 2006Good one, that never occurred to me! It was Back in the World, where the dump truck lifts C&T's van off the ground. That happened at a bridge over the Seybold Canal, the same canal that the Hindu Temple overlooks. Remember the brief setup shot of "Biscayne General Hospital", filmed at Cedars Medical Center? In that shot you can see the northward continuation of the Seybold Canal. According to my map it is called "Wagner Creek" at that point.

[airtommy]

Posted by airtommy on 15 January 2007 By my count, there are about 18 significant filming locations in this movie. I recently made some breakthroughs on a number of the locations that had been bothering for over a year. Here are the locations in order of appearance: 1. Piano bar 2. Foot bridge, bus stop 3. May's house (Hindu Temple) 4. Cemetery 5. Stallone's hideout 6. Party with fireworks 7. Fight scene on bus 8. The pink street 9. Fairmont Garden Restaurant Lounge 10. Joe Leon's house 11. Police station 12. Tomas Leon's house 13. Poolside assassination 14. Phone call 15. Church funeral 16. Hotel 17. Phone call 18. Double M Seafood Time to reveal some mysteries!

[airtommy]

Posted by airtommy on 15 January 2007 1. Piano barThat was Emilio Estefan (husband of Gloria) playing the piano at The Clevelander (1020 Ocean Drive Miami Beach). =================================Posted by DanJ on 15 January 2007Woa, woa, before we get too far here; Emilio Estefan is Gloria Estefan's husband, not her brother! And that's all I care to say about that!Correct on the Clevelander location. Now, who can tell us which MV episode(s) the Clevelander appeared in, first as an integral part of a scene, then second as part of a drive-by or other traveling scene?=================================Posted by airtommy on 15 January 2007LOL, sorry, fixed now Did they drive by it in the opening scene of "Out Where the Buses Don't Run"? =================================Posted by DanJ on 15 January 2007I asked the question in hopes that someone out there will tell me. I remember an episode where Tubbs talks to someone out by the Clevelander pool but can't recall which ep that was.

[airtommy]

Posted by airtommy on 15 January 2007 2. Footbridge, Bus StopIt appears to me that the building behind Stallone across the river is the Banana Bungalow, so this must be the footbridge at Collins & 24th in Miami Beach.Red arrow = Stallone walks over bridgeYellow X = Banana Bungalow What does the blurry blue neon sign behind Stallone read? -------- Inn? I know this hotel/hostel has changed names multiple times.Is the bus stop just south or just north of the footbridge?Easy trivia question: who is on this footbridge in what MV episode?

[airtommy]

Posted by DanJ on 15 January 2007Great job on the footbridge, Airtommy! You are right on!BTW the Banana Bungalow was used, perhaps only as an exterior shot, as the place where some of the characters from the short-lived "South Beach" series supposedly lived.What does the blurry blue neon sign behind Stallone read? -------- Inn? I'm gonna say that this was the Watershed Inn, but I may be wrong.Easy trivia question: who is on this footbridge in what MV episode? Crockett jumps from this bridge onto a boat to capture Sagot after the final boat chase in "One Way Ticket." What did I win?---------------------------------------------------------6. Party With Fireworks: Looks like a spot on the Miami River across from the Hyatt. At 15:56 you can clearly see the Hyatt sign, as well as the Bank Of America tower behind it in blue.When May pulls up in the limo and makes her entrance, that looks like the front of Greenberg & Traurig on Brickell Avenue. In MV, C&T have a shootout at this location. I forget the episode, but an oriental in a black Camaro or Firebird is involved (The Oriental actor later had a regular role on Nash Bridges.). After the shootout Crockett is amazed that his precious white Testarosa doesn't have a scratch on it!7. Fight Scene On Bus: This starts at 18:19 on the DVD, when Ray (Stallone) boards a Metro bus. Our first clue is the bus itself. Let's assume that this is a real Metro bus and not a prop. The route shown on the bus is "S Downtown Miami." Look it up and see where that route goes. While we're here, note the landscaping around the bus stop and even the bus bench. These could factor in later. While you're at it, take note of the actual bus number as well.Cut to the inside of the bus where we see some punks at the back harrassing the passengers and swinging from the rails. Don't be fooled by the South Beach graphic on the back of the bus. Instead, look out the left window. At about 18:34-35 a building, perhaps under construction, is visible. This is a clue as to where the bus was for this part of the scene (Not necessarily the same spot where Ray got on.).A few seconds later at about 18:37 we get a look out of the right window. There's another building visible, as well as parked cars. Note that the parked cars are facing the same direction as the bus is traveling. Since this is on the driver's side of the bus, we might assume a one-way street.At 18:41 is where the fun begins. We see Ray walking towards the back of the bus. More importantly, out of the driver's side (Now the left side because of the reversal of camera angle) we see a power station. I could go on, but c'mon now, campers, we all surely know where this is?!Fast forward just a bit now, to about 18:54, and hit Pause. You see Ray reach for the overhead rail and begin to turn before he takes his seat. Advance carefully, frame by frame towards the 18:55 mark - you gotta do this carefully or you'll miss it - to where you see, to the right of Ray's shoulder and through the bus window, a sign that says "Miami River." If you had any doubts as to where we are from the last paragraph above, you should be a little more oriented at this point!At 19:00 there is a cut to the outside of the bus as it approaches an opening drawbridge. Again we see the route number - S - on the bus (Look again at the bus' serial number.). This drawbridge might look familiar to some of us, but just in case let me help keeping y'all from making a mistake: This is NOT the drawbridge Crockett scales at the end of "French Twist!" That bridge is very close by, actually...At 19:04 we get a closeup of Ray and a look out the window of the bus. We see the power station again, as well as a distant building that if you know your landmarks is recognizable as a downtown Miami struture.19:12 - 19:13 You will have to do a little Pause/Slo-Mo'ing here, but at the point where the one punk steals the seat Ray was offering to the woman, through the bus window you will catch - and it's only there for a second or so - a tiny bit of a pink and black building that I know is familiar to all of you location hounds (If you miss it, don't worry - you'll see it again as this scene plays out.). My friends, at this point if you don't know where we are, I dare say I can't help you! Hah! Nonetheless, let's continue, shall we?It just gets better for us Vicers at this point. At 19:16 - 19:17, look out the bus window. Whadaya see? Why, why, I'll be doggone! It's the Miami Shipyard, aka OCB headquarters! And what's that we see in the background? Could it be - the Washington Mutual building?So by now I'm sure y'all have it all figured out, so I don't have to tell you where this scene took place, right?GOOFS DEPT.Way back up there when we saw Ray get on the bus, we saw the route number and the bus' serial number. At 20:15 when Ray kicks the punk through the window and we cut to the outside to see the body go flying out of the bus, take a look at the serial number on the bus. Get it? Got it? Good!8. The Pink Street: Looks a heck of a lot like Espa�ola Way on Miami Beach. And isn't that the Clay Hotel Where C&T met with Trini in "Brother's Keeper" and where Noogy stayed at in "Cool Running?"11. Police Station: This looks to me like it is on Ocean Drive, four buildings south of the Carlyle. At 41:51 we see Trent drive up in his red sports car. I see what look to be the three columns of the Carlyle's main entrance at this point, as well as the Cardozo on the north corner. Heh - if you're not careful you might catch a glimpse of Crockett leaning against the steps, and Gumby doing his break dance on the corner! This one looks like a potential photo recreation for me somewhere in the near future...14. Phone Call: At 1:05:30 when Ray makes his phone call, first we see a red bus that says "Brickell Shuttle" on it - that in and of itself is not necessarily a clue here, but read on: After the bus passes, pause the DVD at about 1:05:33 when Ray is at the phone booth. We see the Dodge Island bridge (Which we also saw in Vice 2006), and through its pilons on the left edge of the picture we see the Freedom Tower (If we could keep going to the left we would see the marina where the St. Vitus was moored.).Directly behind the phone booth, across Biscayne Bay, is where the American Airlines Arena (AAA) now stands but it was an empty lot when they made this film. Inconsequential but interesting nonetheless, on the right edge of this frame we see a Metrorail boarding platform. If you were attending an event at the AAA today and were taking the Metrorail to the arena, this would be the platform you would get off at.If you require further proof of this location, stop the DVD at about 1:06:35, when the girl on the phone tells Ray that she has "..a message from May." In the background and out of focus, you can see One Biscayne Tower. Now let the scene play in real time, and you will see this building once or twice again when the camera cuts to the closeup of Ray on the phone.17. Phone Call: This is interesting. Now Trent and May are under the Dodge Island bridge but I believe a bit further south from the phone booth we saw Ray at earlier - you can still see One Biscayne Tower behind them as well the Hotel Intercontinental - but Ray is across the street from the Marlin hotel (The Marlin stands across the street from the former location of the now defunct Senator hotel, which we see in "Milk Run.") on South Beach. However, a red Brickle Shuttle bus can be seen behind Ray again! Hmm... maybe he took the Brickle Shuttle from Dodge Island to South Beach while Trent & May were on their way to Dodge Island?

[airtommy]

Posted by airtommy on 16 January 2007

6. Party With Fireworks: Looks like a spot on the Miami River across from the Hyatt. At 15:56 you can clearly see the Hyatt sign, as well as the Bank Of America tower behind it in blue.

That's what I thought at first ...

When May pulls up in the limo and makes her entrance, that looks like the front of Greenberg & Traurig on Brickell Avenue.

Wow, that's amazing. I found this pic, and everything matches up - the diagonal lines on the ceiling, the palm trees, the steps.

11. Police Station: This looks to me like it is on Ocean Drive, four buildings south of the Carlyle. At 41:51 we see Trent drive up in his red sports car.� I see what look to be the three columns of the Carlyle's main entrance at this point, as well as the Cardozo on the north corner.

OK, I had no idea where on Ocean Dr. this scene was. I guess I should know what some of these famous Deco hotels look like by now.Here is a pic of the Cardoza and a wild-looking hotel that looms directly behind it, both visible as Ned drives down Ocean Dr. around 41:48. By the way, DanJ, your times aren't matching up for me. We must have different editions of the DVD.

[airtommy]

Posted by airtommy on 16 January 200712. Tomas Leon's houseThis is the Key Biscayne mansion repeatedly featured on MV:1. Calderone's Return2. The Great McCarthy3. Golden Triangle4. Yankee Dollar (IMO, the best cinematic use of this house ever)Forbes article "Nixon's Vacation Home" with photos:http://www.forbes.com/2002/04/26/0426how.htmlThe cool thing is you get to see a helicopter land on Nixon's floating helipad. We also saw that in Golden Triangle. 10. Joe Leon's houseCorrect me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the embassy in "Free Verse"? It is located at the northern tip of Star Island. The money shot is around 39:36, when you can see the driveway, with a fountain in the middle and lined by short hedges.

[airtommy]

Posted by DanJ on 16 January 2007

Dan, your times aren't matching up for me. We must have different editions of the DVD.

I was concerned about that as I worked on my post above. The copy that I have, I picked up just a few months ago. It was bargain priced and it is a dual-sided disc with the widescreen version on one side and the standard version on the other. I see the R rating on the back cover, so it is not the unrated version. I have been working from the widescreen side of the disc.

10. Joe Leon's House: Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the embassy in "Free Verse"? It is located at the northern tip of Star Island. The money shot is around 39:36, when you can see the driveway, with a fountain in the middle and lined by short hedges.

Sure looks like it to me - good eye! To further our discussion on DVD time marks, this is at 39:39 on my DVD.Funny, I had always tended to think that Joe's house was an orange-colored house on the south side of Star Island, at the east end of the bridge from the MaCarthur causeway. This house can be seen at about 1:25:00 in "The Specialist." It is also partly visible at the end, right after Joe yells, "You bastardo!" and the lockett explodes. The next cut shows May savoring the explosion, then getting in the car with Ray. They are on the star Island bridge, not in front of the "Embassy" house. Because of these two scenes I thought this orange house was Joe's house. It is clearly visible from the MaCarthur causeway.--------------------------------------------------Now, a question about Joe Leon. Is he Italian, Cuban, or what? Throughout the movie Rod Steiger affects what sounds like a heavy latin accent. I never took it for Italian. However, at the end when he gets blown up by the lockett, he looks up and yells, "Jou bastardo!" Well, "bastardo" is not an oath that I have ever heard a Cuban utter.Only recently, I caught an episode of "Everybody Loves Ray" where one of Robert's ex-girlfriends, an Italian hottie, calls him a "bastardo." That leads me to conclude that this is an Italian oath. So now I'm a bit confused - is Joe Leon supposed to be Italian, or some other latin type?

[airtommy]

Posted by airtommy on 16 January 2007I originally thought it was the orange house. When James Woods drives turns from MacArthur Causeway and drives across the bridge to Star Island, the shot ends with the camera lingering on that orange house. The director seems to be trying to establish that as the Leon mansion. BTW, fascinating sky in that shot. If I recall correctly, it is sunny to the south but ominous dark clouds are to the north.I Googled "bastardo" and I got this hit:http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=bastardoI must have the same DVD as you. My ISBN # is 0790734168. I never realized that it was two-sided until I read your note and looked on my DVD. The back side is indeed widescreen. I'll switch to that one. =================================Posted by DanJ on 16 January 2007Heh. If I were a movie producer shooting a movie in Miami, it would take forever. Why? Because if I had to, for instance, shoot that bridge shot with the sky looking like that, I 'd cancel the shoot for the day and wait for the weather to clear up! Hah!Wow - you had the double-sided disc and you didn't even know it? Don't feel too bad, pal. When I bought my copy I looked all over the packaging to see whether or not it contained the widescreen version, and I finally saw it in the microprint! I was about to pass on that copy until then!=================================Posted by airtommy on 16 January 2007It just occurred to me that the exterior shot of the house's driveway does not necessarily have to coincide with the interior shots. Let's consider the Free Verse consulate a strong hunch right now, but not confirmed until we study the background buildings.

[airtommy]

Posted by airtommy on 16 January 20079. Fairmont Garden Restaurant LoungeI was struggling with this one for over a year. I searched the internet for the name but came up with nothing. It turns out the source of my frustration was a name change. Here is where I think they filmed this scene:Fairwind Hotel info & pics:http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/florida/miami/fairwind/fairwind.htmlAddress: 1000 Collins Ave Miami Beach

[airtommy]

Posted by airtommy on 17 January 20076. Party With FireworksLike Dan, my first instinct was that this was filmed somewhere on the south bank of the Miami River. I thought maybe they were at Big Fish. But the other buildings weren't matching up. So then I realized - Aha, look at WHICH SIDE of the Bank of America tower we are seeing! We are looking directly at the round face. So, I looked at the round face and followed the line of sight, and that led me to Brickell Key.OK, the main establishing shot is at 15:55. Here you can see the blue-lit Bank of America tower and the pink-lit Hyatt sign in front of it.1 = Bank of America Tower2 = Hyatt3 = Building behind fireworks4 = Parking Deck Building #4, a parking deck, is to the left of the fireworks. You can see the two rows of palm trees between the parking deck and the water.Building #3 is just behind the fireworks. Here is a zoomed-in view of that building, you can see it is the correct one: The two closer shots of the fireworks (15:50 and 15:57) tell us which way the fireworks are facing. They are at the water's edge just north of the parking deck.The money shot is at 16:19. As Tomas hands May some champagne, you can see the fireworks facing them in the background. This means they must be at either of the two buildings I labeled with a red X:They are Courvoisier Courts and Courts Brickell Key. Here is a view from one of them:

[airtommy]

Posted by airtommy on 18 January 20075. Stallone's hideout615 SW 2nd Ave MiamiI have claimed for a long time that his hideout was the OCB building from MV, but I was wrong. He was actually staying in a brown building next to the OCB. This building was probably built specifically for the movie, so that they could blow it up at the end.Yellow circle = Corner facade which stated "Gold Coast Shipping" on Miami ViceBrown/orange box = Stallone's hideoutFrom 11:16 to 11:34, we get a sweeping view of the location, with the Miami River, the Metromover, the blue-lit Bank of America Tower, and Stallone's hideout. The end of the shot looks down through a skylight in the roof. You'll notice in my sat pic above that none the buildings on the lot have skylights.At about 1:37:09 we get a good shot of the brown building constructed for the movie, including the skylights.Clearest shot of his hideout: 37:25

[airtommy]

Posted by airtommy on 19 January 2007Interesting note:Maria Chavez was the location manager for The Specialist. She was also the location manager for the pilot episode of Miami Vice, as well as for many other Miami-based movies.Maria Chavez at IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0154588/According to IMDB, the opening scene was filmed at Great Falls Dam in Rock Island, Tennessee:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111255/locations=================================Posted by DanJ on 19 January 2007If Michael Mann had done this film, they probably would have actually gone to South America for that scene!

[airtommy]

Posted by airtommy on 23 January 200716. HotelThe Fontainebleau 4441 Collins Avenue Miami BeachThis hotel was featured in The Bellboy, Goldfinger, Scarface among other movies.

[airtommy]

Posted by airtommy on 24 January 2007

Funny, I had always tended to think that Joe's house was an orange-colored house on the south side of Star Island, at the east end of the bridge from the MacArthur causeway. This house can be seen at about 1:25:00 in "The Specialist." It is also partly visible at the end, right after Joe yells, "You bastardo!" and the lockett explodes. The next cut shows May savoring the explosion, then getting in the car with Ray. They are on the star Island bridge, not in front of the "Embassy" house. Because of these two scenes I thought this orange house was Joe's house. It is clearly visible from the MacArthur causeway.

OK, this mystery is still not solved. The exterior shot at 39:39 is definitely the same house that was used in "Free Verse" (I just looked at both DVDs).However, the poolside scene (34:28-36:36) looks different. At the beginning of the scene, Ned walks in.1. At the very beginning, it looks like Lummus Island (Port of Miami) behind him.2. As he walks along, the east elevation of MacArthur Causeway appears behind him.3. At 34:31, something pink flashed by VERY briefly (behind a palm tree and behind the causeway). I am wondering if perhaps this is Fisher Island?4. At 34:44, same pink building5. At 34:46, I think we see this building at the northern end of Terminal Isle (note the window pattern):6. Starting around 36:08, it looks like we can see the west side of Miami Beach (Alton Rd area).It must be a house on the SE corner of Star Island. The question: Which one?

[airtommy]

Posted by DanJ on 26 January 2007I wanna discuss the scene that takes place at the Fontainebleau towards the end of the movie, which is one great big Hollywood exaggeration - fun, but exaggerated nonetheless:Ned comes looking for Ray. May, who is in the process of dumping Ray and making a quick getaway after spending the night with him, calls his room to warn him. As it turns out, they musta been stayin' in a room on the east edge of the hotel overlooking the water. How did I surmise this? Read on:Before leaving the hotel room, Ray rigs it to blow up when Ned and his crew get there. This is where the fun begins. Ray leaves a telephone off the hook for Ned & company to find. One of the agents is about to hang it up when Ned, realizing the setup, does the equivalent of the classic Crockett "Nooo!!!" and yells at the agent not to touch the phone. But it's too late. The agent hangs up the phone, triggering an explosion.Next thing you know the room is hanging off the edge of the building, about to drop into the ocean. This is where the Hollywood exaggeration takes place. Look at the picture of the Fontainbleau posted a few threads above. Notice that the rooms along the east edge overlook the ocean, but they are nowhere near the ocean - they're not even over the sand on the beach.Yet, when we are shown the balcony dangling by a thread with agents hanging off of it clinging for dear life, the camera is looking down and they are right above the water (This must be the Miami Beach version of the old Western "hanging off the edge of the cliff" ploy - hah!)!What floor were they on, you might ask? Look again at the picture in the thread above. Note that there are three floors across the top that extend further out than the floors below. Mr. Spock might deduct logically that they were on the lowest of these floors, because when we look down and see the balcony dangling we don't see any balconies below it - only water.Very exciting stuff, but quite unrealistic if you understand the Fontainebleau's relative position to the beach and the water! Don't get me wrong, folks, I'm not criticizing or nitpicking this scene, just pointing out a blatant Hollywood fabrication that was clearly done for the purpose of kicking up the action quotient of this film. Cheers!P.S. Back when the Fontainebleau was first built, it is possible that its eastern edge was closer to the beach and the ocean. This is because the beach had not yet been extended as it is today (And at the time The Specialist was filmed). But looking at older photographs shows that the hotel was still a considerable way from the ocean. Therefore, IMO it would still be a reach of the imagination to think this scene could actually play out this way.

[airtommy]

Posted by SOFLAJEREMY on 10 February 2007Great shot of the Fairwind which was also first seen in "Brother's Keeper".

Now, who can tell us which MV episode(s) the Clevelander appeared in, first as an integral part of a scene, then second as part of a drive-by or other traveling scene?

Well of course the drive by was from the pilot. Nw the other is fuzzy, but was it Willie Nelson at the pool ?

[airtommy]

Posted by airtommy on 10 February 2007

Another location used was The Biltmore Hotel Swimming Pool for the exploding tea tray scene . Now the Biltmore Pool was never seen in MV but the exterior and interior was seen in "Back in the World"' date=' "Freefall" and used extensively in "Line of Fire " from Season 5.[/quote']Thanks Matt! Here is a sat pic of the Biltmore pool:red = Tomas & friends' card tableyellow = cabana where Tomas is killed =================================The Clevelander scene in MV was the episode "Mirror Image".

[airtommy]

Posted by airtommy on 10 February 200715. Church funeralAt first I thought this was filmed at the church which faces the Biltmore (Coral Gables Congregational Church), which I visited a couple of years ago: But I studied it closely and realized there were many small differences (arched doorway, cross at top of front facade, parking spaces in front of entrance). So I did a Google image search for Coral Gables churches, and I got lucky.Church of the Little Flowerhttp://www.cotlf.org/2711 Indian Mound Trail in Coral GablesHere are two more pics:http://fcit.usf.edu/Florida/photos/cities/corgab/corgab06.htmhttp://fcit.usf.edu/Florida/photos/cities/corgab/corgab07.htmIt turns out it's just a few blocks away from the Biltmore. =================================18. Double M SeafoodRED ARROWS = Ned + May drive the Porsche 968 down the off-ramp (an on-ramp in real life), and they park under the SW 1st Street bridge.BLUE BOX = Double M SeafoodThis vacant lot is the same one where Tubbs gets picked up as he goes to the voodoo ceremony in "Tale of the Goat".

[airtommy]

Posted by brianofyuleeon 17 April 2007In the scene where May is meeting Thomas at the cafe. You see a black Mercedes drive down a street. Ray is sitting at a table reading a newspaper. Any idea where that location is? =================================Posted by DanJ on 17 April 2007Espanola Way on Miami Beach. This street and the Clay hotel were used several times in MV. Most notably, in "Cool Running" as the site of Noogy's pad.=================================Posted by brianofyulee on 20 April 2007Screenshots:http://photos.yahoo.com/brianofyulee Thanks DanJ!!!

[airtommy]

Posted by airtommy on 18 April 2007Check out this article I just stumbled across, which shows an example of how MV directly influenced the South Beach revival:

. . . Polansky's radical idea to give the Clay Hotel a peach hue occurred at nearly the same time Mel Bourne happened to the area. As the production designer of the new show Miami Vice, Bourne showed an intense interest in Espanola Way. After scouting the area, Bourne returned with Michael Mann and Don Johnson. The team sat down with Polansky and told her about their idea. "They explained to me what Miami Vice was going to be. At the time I wanted to paint my building peach and since Bourne was the set designer, I asked if there were some peach colors he would like to recommend," Polansky exclaims. "He gave me a book with 1,000 different colors of peach!" Soon afterward, the group quickly became friends and Espanola Way became the site of the first and last episodes of the show, as well as 10 episodes in between . . .

Full article:A Very Different South Beach: Espanola Wayby Ginger Fulkerson-Harrishttp://www.southbeach-usa.com/scene/scene1/espanola-way/espanola-way.htm

[airtommy]

I believe we have just one remaining mystery: the cemetery.

[miamijimf]

Just watched this old gem for the first time in years. It's a must for those who appreciate classic Vice locations and a young Sharon Stone isn't bad either. No doubt that the writers took their inspiration from Vice because you will immediately recognize at least 18 Vice sites. These include the OCB, the interior of the Clay Hotel, mansions on Star Is, the Clevelander, the Key Biscayne mansion used in Scarface, as well as Calderone's Return, The Great McCarthy, Golden Triangle, and Yankee Dollar. The movie, shot in 1994, provides different and sometimes better views of locations such as the Fairmore Hotel. Miami Beach's revival was due in large part to the popularity of Vice and the movie shows you this restoration at an early stage. It would make a good addition to C Glide's Vice and movie web site. There would be only a few challenges for him. http://www.sffl.comcastbiz.net/

[Matt5]

http://www.sffl.comcastbiz.net/

Yes I agree Jim - shame more big budget movies dont shoot in Miami Miami is still really known for Miami Vice in the greater scheme of things:D