Episode 38, Florence Italy

[airtommy]

Another Miami Vice filming location is disappearing.  

Part of the final chase scene in Florence Italy is filmed on NE 12th Street and the side ramp from 12th to I-395.  This road will be permanently closed as part of the project to rebuild I-395.

news article:  https://www.miamiherald.com/news/traffic/article233386442.html

complete list of locations of the chase:  http://www.miamivicelocations2.org/page27.html

 

Edited August 5, 2019 by airtommy

[Matt5]

21 hours ago, airtommy said:

Another Miami Vice filming location is disappearing.  

Part of the final chase scene in Florence Italy is filmed on NE 12th Street and the side ramp from 12th to I-395.  This road will be permanently closed as part of the project to rebuild I-395.

news article:  https://www.miamiherald.com/news/traffic/article233386442.html

complete list of locations of the chase:  http://www.miamivicelocations2.org/page27.html

 

Not surprising...

[Tom]

the first 1980s real life pictures of the famous 202 Biscayne General store I have found. The area right of the stair (out of frame in the episode still with Switek) was used in By hooker by crook (244 Biscayne Bvd, Izzy´s boudoir photography obviously replaced Suzanne´s China Restaurant -see last picture). Even the "Bhitap Int´l" computer store sign next door is the same as in the episode. The whole building was razed and replaced around 2007.

 

Edited March 8, 2021 by Tom

[Tom]

the Coppertone sign on Biscayne Bvd that we see in the teaser of this episode. Photos taken in 1978.

 

[Tom]

Here a better shot of 1984 of Izzy´s photo studio (right: Suzanne´s China restaurant) and the Biscayne General Store at 202 Biscayne. the building on the corner itself is the Hotel Toledo (former Hotel Berni-see second photo from the 1920-40s?). Demolished in 1988.

Edited March 10, 2021 by Tom

[airtommy]

The opening teaser starts with a video montage.  One clip is unknown:

This is Times Square in New York looking south.  The Doll Theater (red sign) was at 719 7th Ave.

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/17318

@C Glide

 

[Tom]

vor 16 Stunden schrieb airtommy:

The opening teaser starts with a video montage.  One clip is unknown:

This is Times Square in New York looking south.  The Doll Theater (red sign) was at 719 7th Ave.

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/17318

@C Glide

 

Ha, another location found or confirmed with help of the cinematreasures website. That page is priceless. I found at least 3 locations with it.

And with airtommy´s skills to find even tiny snippets of locations, he is well prepared to help finding the remaining 20 (e.g. Ballard house)! 

[airtommy]

A 15 year quest has ended!

In the long opening teaser. Crockett & Tubbs are cruising downtown and have a funny encounter with the 1980s rap group The Fat Boys.

 

C&T are driving westbound on Flagler at the intersection of NE 3rd Ave.  The building in the background is the Elks Lodge on the back side of the McAllister Hotel.

 

Almost every building in downtown Miami that survived to the 1980s is still there today, other than buildings directly on Biscayne Blvd.  That's why we couldn't find it.

This is the view today:  https://goo.gl/maps/x4BvpDourwkVjucD7

Background on the Elks Lodge:  https://miami-history.com/history-of-miami-elks-lodge-948/

Edited May 14, 2021 by airtommy

[Tom]

Nice find! Here is a view on the whole block from above.

P.S. by the looks, the Elk is the building with the colorful awnings where the Fat Boys are. The red square on the background of the TV still must then be the building on the southside of Flagler Street, but not the Elk itself?

 

[airtommy]

• red = Elks Lodge (NE corner Flagler & 3rd)
• yellow = C&T (NW corner Flagler & 3rd)

[Tom]

vor 11 Stunden schrieb airtommy:

• red = Elks Lodge (NE corner Flagler & 3rd)
• yellow = C&T (NW corner Flagler & 3rd)

Sorry to be a spoiler here but something worries me here. Could it be that the Fat Boys were on the corner of the Elks with the corner columns removed, not on the other side? Because the background of the scene on the other side of the street  does not add up with the Elks front. in a very significant point that is not explainable even with renovation. I made a comparison pic of the two red markers.

To me it looks that left and below the arched windows the recession (yellow arrows are pointing at the areas where the part of the front is sticking out)  is missing. No way that this sticking out part was removed on a building! Also the whole front below the arched windows lis different with changes (window removed and patched over) that are very unlikely in any kind of renovation. 

On the other hand, I am fair by saying that the column on the corner behind the Fat Boys is missing on the Elks corner, but is there on the building on the other side, but all other details match between the Fat Boys and the Elk background. 

 

Edited May 15, 2021 by Tom

[Dadrian]

@Tom I thought that’s where they were standing since the @airtommy’s first reveal picture.  

[miamijimf]

All Vice eps are great but I do miss the occasional humor, like the Fat Boys provided, in later episodes.

[airtommy]

13 hours ago, Tom said:

Sorry to be a spoiler here but something worries me here. Could it be that the Fat Boys were on the corner of the Elks with the corner columns removed, not on the other side? Because the background of the scene on the other side of the street  does not add up with the Elks front. in a very significant point that is not explainable even with renovation. I made a comparison pic of the two red markers.

To me it looks that left and below the arched windows the recession (yellow arrows are pointing at the areas where the part of the front is sticking out)  is missing. No way that this sticking out part was removed on a building! Also the whole front below the arched windows lis different with changes (window removed and patched over) that are very unlikely in any kind of renovation. 

On the other hand, I am fair by saying that the column on the corner behind the Fat Boys is missing on the Elks corner, but is there on the building on the other side, but all other details match between the Fat Boys and the Elk background. 

 

If they were on the corner of the Elks Lodge then we wouldn't see the Elks Lodge across the street.

[Tom]

Gerade eben schrieb airtommy:

If they were on the corner of the Elks Lodge then we wouldn't see the Elks Lodge across the street.

That´s exactly the question if we see the Elk across the street or not. See above.

[airtommy]

14 hours ago, Tom said:

To me it looks that left and below the arched windows the recession (yellow arrows are pointing at the areas where the part of the front is sticking out)  is missing. No way that this sticking out part was removed on a building! Also the whole front below the arched windows lis different with changes (window removed and patched over) that are very unlikely in any kind of renovation.

I don't understand this. What do you mean by "recession"?

In the 60 years between the two pics, they modified the first floor quite a bit, including removing the balcony over the sidewalk.  It probably happened when the McAllister Hotel took over this building and made it part of the hotel.

 

 

[Tom]

vor 2 Minuten schrieb airtommy:

I don't understand this. What do you mean by "recession"?

In the 60 years between the two pics, they modified the first floor quite a bit, including removing the balcony over the sidewalk.  It probably happened when the McAllister Hotel took over this building and made it part of the hotel.

To me it looks like a part of the front around the arched windows is sticking out (all around is recessed) which is missing on the old picture. Also the big windows below are gone (patched over windows of that size?)

[Tom]

the long lost Toledo Hotel (formerly called Hotel Garni) at 202 Biscayne where Switek talks to the hooker and Suzanne´s Chinese Restaurant at 204 Biscayne (used in Hooker by crook as Izzy´s place) can be seen in the background of the Grand Prix scenes as well. See below comparison pics and a 1984 shot of the Toledo.

[Dadrian]

I think we see C&T drive by there in the Caddy with Weldon in OWTBDR also @Tom

[Tom]

vor 52 Minuten schrieb Dadrian:

I think we see C&T drive by there in the Caddy with Weldon in OWTBDR also @Tom

in that area, yes. One can see in the background the Everglades Hotel which was right next to the neighbor building of the Toledo. But I don´t think that one can see the Toledo itself. But I´d need to check back with the scene.

Edited February 6, 2022 by Tom

[Tom]

The Croissant vending shop in this episode then and now. The building on the right was completely torn down.

 

[airtommy]

On 3/10/2021 at 9:34 AM, Tom said:

Here a better shot of 1984 of Izzy´s photo studio (right: Suzanne´s China restaurant) and the Biscayne General Store at 202 Biscayne. the building on the corner itself is the Hotel Toledo (former Hotel Berni-see second photo from the 1920-40s?). Demolished in 1988.

Here is a higher-resolution version of the same photo:

[Tom]

old postcard from the 80s of the OMNI (pilot, Killshot garage), with the Doubletree and the Miami Women´s club (Death and the lady) on the middle-left, Venetian Causeway with 1000 Venetian Way (Heart of darkness, By hooker by crook) in the middle/right background and -what is most interesting as on no other aerial from that time - the long gone Fina gas station with the famous mural (One way ticket, Florence Italy) can be partly seen on the far right (yellow arrow).  

P.S. on the far left we nearly -a bit out of frame - can see Izzy´s place (Sacramonte restaurant) used in Better living through chemistry and Cows of October.

Edited July 15, 2022 by Tom

[Matt5]

At the end of the garage motorbike race (mostly filmed in this garage) between father and son at the end of the race we see them come down the exit ramp (see below) out of the Wachovia/ South East Financial Centre at SE 3rd st before they jump to NE3rd st.

I took this photo in June.