Tony Rome
Tony Rome (1967), Frank Sinatra stars as an ex-
The movie starts with credits rolling and Tony (Frank Sinatra) out on his boat, the
Straight Pass. Tony is about a mile off shore headed in with the Mid-
The area behind these buildings was used in several episodes of Miami Vice including the Pilot where they conducted most of the boat chase along this stretch of Collins Ave.
The opening continues as Tony docks at a little marina that is on the tip of Key Biscayne.
Tony gets slightly distracted by a woman wading.
Lots of white sand has been dumped where the woman was wading. In this picture the retaining wall that was between the land and the water is now separating grass from the white sand that was put at the end of the parking lot.
In the next scene we see Tony at a boxing Gym. I had a feeling this was the 5th Street Gym on Sobe. Upon closer examination I see why. If you look in the picture below a little lower than the light bulb you will see a sign that reads "Chris Dundee's 5th Street Gym Miami Beach". He must be related to Angelo. Then I noticed the name be it in reverse, painted on the windows. To confirm I did a quick search and found proof rather quickly that I will post below.
Frank Sinatra was not the first famous person in this gym. Here is a photo of Mohamad Ali who trained here, standing in the same ring as seen in this movie. Notice the drain pipe on the left of both pictures.
Three years before Frank did Tony Rome and lost at Gin in this Gym Ali ko'd the Beatles. Same gym, same ring, same drain pipe.
While at the gym Tony greets I guy, "what do you say Beau Jack." Beau Jack is Sidney Walker who went by the nick name Beau Jack that his grandmother gave him. A great boxer with 80 victories, 40 by KO. He got his start fighting in battle royals in Georgia. He was a friend of Frank Sinatra and operated the 5th Street Gym.
Before leaving the gym Tony gets a call. This sends him to the Corsair Hotel and the start of the story.
We will see the Corsair again in the Miami Vice episode, Buddies.
The Corsair has been torn down and replaced with this building.
As the brochure below indicates, The Corsair was located at 101 Ocean at 1st Street.
Tony is to be paid $200 USD to bring a woman home from the hotel. He arrives at the home and right away I recognize the exterior is Villa Vizcaya. 3251 South Miami Avenue.
As soon as they enter the home they are no longer at Villa Vizcaya. They have magically transported 65.7 miles north up to Nuestro Paradiso, 860 South Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach, Florida.
Tony leaves Kosterman’s with his new friend and is seen heading eastbound across the 195 causeway. They pull up in front of the Hilton Fontainebleau as she had stated she was staying there.
Tony returns to his boat only to find a couple of thugs looking for a pin. The next morning Tony is awoken by Diana Pines who he had taken home the day before from the Corsair. She too is looking for her pin. While there, Tony gets a call from her dad. Mr. Kosterman is shown on the south patio of Villa Vizcaya with Biscayne Bay in the background and the part of the garden that was used in the Miami Vice, season 2 episode Whatever Works.
Tony heads back to the Corsair. Here we get a great view as to how Ocean Drive looked in 1967.
The picture on the right was taken in August of 2008. Good to see some of the buildings are still there.
As Tony chases the interlopers out the back of the Corsair and around back to Ocean Dr. we see some 1960's Sobe. In the picture below we see Harry's Ocean Front Restaurant. Today this is the only building left standing on that block. It is now a Taverna Opa. Budweiser must have paid plenty as a sponsor because their product placement continues throughout the movie as seen below.
Next Tony goes back to his office to connect with Dianna and follow her.
Tony's office was in the Hotel Dolphin. Long torn down as is the Phillips 66 gas station long gone. Both are barren lots used for parking. The only building at this intersection still standing is the one we see the corner of at the left of the screen capture below. It is now a storage building.
I used two landmarks to be able to find this location. 1) In both pictures we see a yellow arrow. It is pointing to the Sears Tower. Now the only part of the Sears building that remains. 2) The large white building in the background was a hospital that I have used several times to help suss out Miami Vice locations. Knowing where these two buildings were allowed me to locate Tony's office. Tony's office was on N.E. 1st Ave at N.E. 10th Street in Miami. Just south of 10th Street on the east side of N.E. 1st Ave.
In the picture below the lot surrounded with the yellow border is where the Phillips 66 service station was. The lot surrounded with the red border is where Tony's office building was located. The lot that is surrounded with the green border is where Tony and Diana both were parked.
Release date: 11/10/1967
If you recognize any of the unknown locations or have something else to add, please let me know at: cglide@floridamovielocations.org