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Motion Picture Paradise: A History of Florida's Film and Television Industry

Online ISBN:
9780813071176
Print ISBN:
9780813069999
Publisher:
University Press of Florida
Book

Motion Picture Paradise: A History of Florida's Film and Television Industry

David Morton
David Morton
University of Central Florida
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Published online:
23 January 2025
Published in print:
13 August 2024
Online ISBN:
9780813071176
Print ISBN:
9780813069999
Publisher:
University Press of Florida

Abstract

Overlooked and underestimated in its contributions to motion picture history, the film and television industry in Florida has played a vital role in shaping American visual culture for over a century. From 1898, when the first war correspondents turned their cameras on the state to chronicle the onset of the Spanish American War, through the Ocala Drive-In’s unexpected role as the only theatre that contributed to the national box office in April 2020, Florida has persistently managed to remain in the limelight. The movies made in Florida are nearly as old as the industry itself, yet the state’s essential role as the “third coast” to the American motion picture industry has been mostly dismissed. The image of Florida as a place full of exotic beauty and adventure, set to the backdrop of swaying palms and sun-drenched beaches, has remained constant since the first film pioneers came to the state over one hundred years ago. Motion Picture Paradise tells the fascinating 125-year-long story of the contentious relationship between filmmakers and the Florida politicians who have inspired the rise, fall, and the many unexpected comebacks of one of the most unique production industries in the United States. This behind-the-scenes look into the countless films and television programs made in the state finally gives Florida its long-awaited starring role in American film history.

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