Adolfo and Marisela Cotilla Gallery: Beaches, Creatures, and Cowboys: Film in Florida Exhibit
Exhibit Description
Beaches, Creatures, and Cowboys: June 18-August 20, 2023
Movie producers have been making films in Florida almost since the dawn of the industry. For a short time in the early twentieth century, Florida even rivaled California as a place for movie making.
Library Events and Programming
Check out our upcoming events related to the exhibit! For event descriptions and registration details, click on each calendar entry below or check out our full list at lib.nova.edu/exhibits.
Exhibit Sponsors & Partners
Filmed in Florida Spotlight
Related Library Resources
This is a selected list of books related to Florida and filmmaking. For more book recommendations, search the library catalog or ask a librarian for help.
Almost Hollywood by
Blair Miller tells the story of the motion picture industry as it developed in Jacksonville after the turn of the twentieth century. Almost Hollywood reveals the meteoric rise of Jacksonville in early silent films. Home to over thirty studios employing actors, directors, and stagehands, Jacksonville became touted as the "winter film capital of the world" by 1915. A myriad of factors contributed to Jacksonville's rise and then fall by the mid 1920s. What were the reasons why Jacksonville missed out as the next mecca for filmmaking? Blair Miller tells the story through primary sources from that remarkable period.
ISBN: 9780761859956Publication Date: 2013-04-10
Florida on Film by
From the camp horror classic ""The Creature from the Black Lagoon"" to ""Scarface"", many films have indelible connections to Florida. This guide to Florida cinema and locations reveals that the Sunshine State has been an integral part not only of America's film history but also of its cultural history. Doll and Morrow group more than 80 films shot in Florida by theme, covering each movie with a plot synopsis, cast and credits list, and a discussion of the film's importance. They feature behind-the-scenes views of the making of each film, analyze each film's connection with its Florida locale, and offer an abundance of details and revelations about the filmmakers and stars. Each chapter concludes with a Movie Tourist's Guide to sites connected to the films that can be visited by the public. Cinema scholars will appreciate the authors' attention to forgotten films and little-known pioneers from the silent era. Movie tourists will want to venture to famous locations, such as those in South Beach, where scenes from ""Scarface"" and ""The Birdcage"" were filmed. And Florida natives will enjoy the book's references to the state's history and unique attractions, including Weeki Wachee Springs, Cypress Gardens, and Ross Allen's Reptile Institute. ""Florida on Film"" is the essential guide for anyone interested in the history of film-making in the Sunshine State.
ISBN: 9780813030456Publication Date: 2007-05-30
Cypress Gardens, America's Tropical Wonderland by
Where America's wildest dreams came true "At Cypress Gardens--the original Florida theme park--movie stars, water-ski champs, and southern sweethearts created magic. More than anyone, even Walt Disney, Dick Pope Sr. invented Florida as America's dream vacationland. This journey back to the attraction in its heyday brims with wonderful images, true tales, and the author's great love for and understanding of the real Florida."--Joy Wallace Dickinson, author of Orlando: City of Dreams "Before the monstrous Mouse infested the orange groves, luring tourists to its predigested 'fun,' Cypress Gardens was Florida's premier attraction, a crazy salad of sunshine, water, flowers, palm trees, and pretty girls in bathing suits performing dare-devilish stunts. This is a terrific book." --Diane Roberts, NPR commentator and author ofDream State To the average person weathering a New England winter, Dick Pope's Cypress Gardens must have looked even more exotic than a trip to Alice's Wonderland. The images coming out of his promotional powerhouse appeared in magazines, newspapers, newsreels, and movies. These Technicolor glories depicted everything from bathing beauties aquaplaning through walls of fire to southern belles relaxing beneath huge tropical plants, from Don Ameche proposing to Betty Grable under moss-hung cypress trees to Esther Williams performing a water ballet in the famous Florida-shaped pool. It was all happening in sleepy Winter Haven, where one real estate maverick turned tourism tycoon was out to sell "100,000 [visitors] 25 cents worth of Florida." Brilliantly illustrated with over 250 vibrant images, Cypress Gardens, America's Tropical Wonderland reveals the empire Dick Pope built from its origins as remote swampland to its heyday as a famous water-sports destination and playground for such stars as Joan Crawford, Johnny Carson, and Carol Burnett, as well as royalty from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor to King Hussein of Jordan. Lu Vickers also discusses the park's decline following the construction of Walt Disney World, changes in management, the evolving interests and vacationing habits of the nation, as well as its outlook for the future as a part of LEGOLAND Florida.
ISBN: 9780813034997Publication Date: 2010-12-30
100 Ideas That Changed Film by
This inspiring book chronicles the most influential ideas that have shaped film since its inception. Entertaining and intelligent, it is both a concise history and a fascinating resource. Each idea is presented through informed text and arresting visuals paying homage to the medium's great classics. We learn why and how the ideas first evolved and what their impact has been up to the present day.
ISBN: 9781856697934Publication Date: 2012-04-18
The Creature Chronicles by
He was the final addition to Universal's "royal family" of movie monsters: the Creature from the Black Lagoon. With his scaly armor, razor claws and a face only a mother octopus could love, this Amazon denizen was perhaps the most fearsome beast in the history of Hollywood's Studio of Horrors. But he also possessed a sympathetic quality which elevated him fathoms above the many aquatic monsters who swam in his wake. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Gill Man and his mid-1950s film career (Creature from the Black Lagoon, Revenge of the Creature, The Creature Walks Among Us) is collected in this book, packed to the gills with hour-by-hour production histories, cast bios, analyses, explorations of the music, script-to-screen comparisons, in-depth interviews and an ocean of fin-tastic photos.
ISBN: 9780786494187Publication Date: 2014-09-29
Filmmaking for Dummies by
Everything you ever wanted to know about making a movie but were afraid to ask... Lights, camera, action! We all have at least one movie in us, and the amazing and affordable advances in digital technology makes it increasingly easy to make your dream a reality and share it with the world. Filmmaking for Dummies is your definitive guide to bringing a project to life, from the comedy antics of loveable pets to the deepest, most meaningful independent film. Bryan Michael Stoller is your friend and guide, sharing his knowledge gained over 100 productions (directing and working with Dan Aykroyd, James Earl-Jones, Barbra Streisand and Drew Barrymore, among others) to show you how to take your movie from the planning and storyboarding stage, through shooting and editing, to making it available to your adoring audiences through television broadcast, streaming online or in movie theaters. For the do-it-your-selfer, the book includes tips on how to finance your project, a look at the latest software and apps, including advancements in digital technology, and for the passionate director, advice on how to hire and work with your cast and crew and find great scenic locations. Whether you want to become a professional filmmaker or just create great YouTube videos or nostalgic home movies, shooting with your smartphone or with consumer or pro-gear, this practical guide has it all. Learn how to compose your shots and when to move the camera Make the perfect pitch to sell your story Take advantage of helpful contacts and tons of new resources Get up-to-date on the latest and greatest digital technology Find the right distributor, or learn how you can be your own distributor! So, you really have no excuses to make your masterpiece. Get rolling with a copy of Filmmaking for Dummies today and start shooting for the stars!
ISBN: 1119617855Publication Date: 2019-11-26
The Million Dollar Mermaid by
During Hollywood's heyday, big studios battled over the next box-office attraction. While Gene Kelly danced and Judy Garland sang, Esther Williams swam into the heart of America with her dazzling smile, stunning aquabatics, and whole-some appeal. Hand-picked for stardom by movie mogul Louis B. Mayer, Esther shed her wide-eyed innocence at what she affectionately calls University MGM, a unique educational institution where sex appeal and glamour were taught, a school where idols were born.Once a national swimming champion and struggling salesgirl, overnight she became one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. And though fame came quickly, Esther's personal life was often less than joyous. Through troubled marriages, cross-dressing lovers, financial bankruptcy, she shares the ups and downs of her extraordinary career in The Million Dollar Mermaid, a wildly entertaining behind-the-scenes account of one of Tinseltown's classic dream factories.
ISBN: 0156011352Publication Date: 2000-09-14
Best. State. Ever. by
We never know what will happen next in Florida. We know only that, any minute now, something will. Every few months, Dave Barry gets a call from some media person wanting to know, "What the hell is wrong with Florida?" Somehow, the state's acquired an image as a subtropical festival of stupid, and as a loyal Floridian, Dave begs to differ. Sure, there was the 2000 election. And people seem to take their pants off for no good reason. And it has flying insects the size of LeBron James. But it is a great state, and Dave is going to tell you why. Join him as he celebrates Florida from Key West at the bottom to whatever it is that's at the top, from the Sunshine State's earliest history to the fun-fair of weirdness that it is today. It's the most hilarious book yet from "the funniest damn writer in the whole country" (Carl Hiaasen, and he should know). By the end, you'll have to admit that whatever else you might think about Florida-you can never say it's boring. Praise for Dave Barry
ISBN: 9781101982600Publication Date: 2016-09-06
Wild and Crazy Guys by
The behind-the-scenes story of the iconic funnymen who ruled '80s Hollywood--Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Eddie Murphy--and the beloved films that made them stars, including Animal House, Caddyshack, and Ghostbusters NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NEW YORK "An enjoyable romp that vividly captures the manic ups and downs of the remarkable group of funny folk who gave us a golden age of small and big screen comedy, from SNL to Groundhog Day."--Peter Biskind, author of Easy Riders, Raging Bulls Wild and Crazy Guys opens in 1978 with Chevy Chase and Bill Murray taking bad-tempered swings at each other backstage at Saturday Night Live, and closes 21 years later with the two doing a skit in the same venue, poking fun at each other, their illustrious careers, triumphs and prat falls. In between, Nick de Semlyen takes us on a trip through the tumultuous '80s, delving behind the scenes of movies such as National Lampoon's Vacation, Beverly Hills Cop, The Blues Brothers, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and dozens more. Chronicling the off-screen, larger-than-life antics of Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, John Belushi, John Candy, and Rick Moranis, it's got drugs, sex, punch-ups, webbed toes, and Bill Murray being pushed into a swimming pool by Hunter S. Thompson while tied to a lawn chair. What's not to like? Based on candid interviews from many of the stars themselves, as well as those in their immediate orbit, including directors John Landis, Carl Reiner, and Amy Heckerling, Wild and Crazy Guys is a fantastic insider account of the friendships, feuds, triumphs, and disasters experienced by these beloved comedians. Hilarious and revealing, it is both a hidden history of the most fertile period ever for screen comedy and a celebration of some of the most popular films of all time. Praise for Wild and Crazy Guys "Eminently readable . . . Children of the 1980s, take note: this is a fond, engrossing look back at the making of movies that became cultural touchstones."--Booklist (starred review) "Nick de Semlyen smartly charts the pinballing career paths of the stars of this new comic wave. . . . His punchy, nonstop narrative . . . tells a [story] where art and commerce smash hard against each other, sometimes causing destruction, but sometimes making sparks fly."--The Sunday Times (UK)
ISBN: 1984826646Publication Date: 2019-05-28
A History of Film Music by
This book provides a comprehensive and lively introduction to the major trends in film scoring from the silent era to the present day, focussing not only on dominant Hollywood practices but also offering an international perspective by including case studies of the national cinemas of the UK, France, India, Italy, Japan and the early Soviet Union. The book balances wide-ranging overviews of film genres, modes of production and critical reception with detailed non-technical descriptions of the interaction between image track and soundtrack in representative individual films. In addition to the central focus on narrative cinema, separate sections are also devoted to music in documentary and animated films, film musicals and the uses of popular and classical music in the cinema. The author analyses the varying technological and aesthetic issues that have shaped the history of film music, and concludes with an account of the modern film composer's working practices.
ISBN: 9780521811736Publication Date: 2008-09-25
This is a selected list of movies with scenes filmed in Florida. For more movie recommendations, search the library catalog or ask a librarian for help.
- Caddyshack The story centers around Danny Noonan, who is desperate to win the college scholarship awarded to the best caddy at Bushwood Country Club. Also involved are a millionaire who wants to turn the golf course into a a new property development and a greenskeeper who is about to start World War III--against a gopher.
- Creature from the Black Lagoon In the upper reaches of the Amazon River, a scientific team discovers an amphibious creature, a living missing link. The creature is captured and falls in love with the female assistant of the leader of the research team. The lonely creature kidnaps her, and the scientist mounts an effort to reclaim his sweetheart and return the creature to his watery home.
- Flipper Plunge into an undersea world of fun and excitement with Flipper, TV's friendliest, most precocious dolphin, his pals Bud and Sandy Ricks, and their Dad, Porter, the chief Ranger at Florida's Coral Key Park.
- Hoot Based on the best-selling book, Hoot is an adventure story about a boy and his classmates who take on crooked politicians and bumbling cops in the hope of saving endangered, burrowing owls threatened by construction. Songs by Jimmy Buffett.
- Jaws: 3-movie Collection All three sequels from one of the most successful blockbusters of all time are featured in the Jaws 3-Movie Collection.
- Moon over Miami Two sisters and their aunt come into a small inheritance. They decide to use the money to travel to Miami in hopes of landing rich husbands. Kay (Betty Grable) poses as a wealthy heiress, her sister Barbara (Carole Landis) pretends to be her secretary and Aunt Susan (Charlotte Greenwood) acts as their maid.
- Operation Petticoat The U.S.S. Sea Tiger is forced out to sea prematurely by any enemy air attack. The sub leaks, and limps along its path. Five stranded Army nurses board it and initiate their own renovations....and the sub ends up a blushing pink, making it a target for both Japanese and American forces.
- Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers In the early decades of cinema, some of the most innovative and celebrated filmmakers in America were women. Alice Guy-Blaché helped establish the basics of cinematic language, while others boldly continued its development: slapstick queen Mabel Normand (who taught Charlie Chaplin the craft of directing), action star Grace Cunard, and LGBTQ icon Alla Nazimova. Unafraid of controversy, filmmakers such as Lois Weber and Dorothy Davenport Reid tackled explosive issues such as birth control, abortion, and prostitution. This crucial chapter of film history comes alive through the presentation of a wide assortment of films, carefully curated, meticulously restored in 2K and 4K from archival sources, and presented with new musical scores.
- Pioneers of African-American Cinema Among the most fascinating chapters of film history is that of the so-called "race films" that flourished in the 1920s -'40s. Unlike the "black cast" films produced within the Hollywood studio system, these films not only starred African Americans but were funded, written, produced, edited, distributed, and often exhibited by people of color. Entrepreneurial filmmakers built an industry apart from the Hollywood establishment, cultivating visual and narrative styles that were uniquely their own.
- The Sunshine State Matinee DVD set with Out of Sight, The Florida Project, The Birdcage, Spring Breakers, Magic Mike, and The Beach Bum.
