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21 MOVIES MADE IN FLORIDA
By Mike Miller Updated August 16, 2025
Jacksonville, Florida was a major film making location in the early 1900s. It had the title of "Winter Film Capital of the World."
More than 30 movie studios operated in Jacksonville at one time.
Norman Films Poster Advertising Bill Pickett in "The Bulldogger"The first silent film studio opened in 1908. The others that followed included Metro Pictures that evolved over the years into MGM.
In 1914, Oliver Hardy began his career in Jacksonville. Other stars included Rudolph Valentino, Lionel and Ethel Barrymore, and others.
An interesting operation was Norman Studio. It was one of the first to produce "race films" starring African American actors.
Unlike the many stereotypical roles usually played by blacks, the Norman films portrayed them in positive roles.
The Norman Studios five building complex in Jacksonville's Arlington area has been preserved and is currently in the process of being turned into a museum and educational complex.
Although Florida was just as important as California in the beginning of the industry, many studios began moving to Hollywood in the 1920s.
Even though most of the studios bailed out, there continued to be a lot films made in Florida.
The climate and vegetation was perfect for jungle movies like Tarzan and the many murky ponds, lakes, and rivers were a great home for "The Creature from the Black Lagoon."
The many wild monkeys living along Silver Run and the Ocklawaha River near Silver Springs were early movie actors who escaped and have lived happily ever after pestering boaters along the rivers.
Many of the movie posters shown on this page are part of the Museum of Florida History’s permanent collection of Florida movie memorabilia.
1. THE YEARLING
The Yearling was a Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, who lived and wrote in Cross Creek. The movie of the same name was filmed in the Ocala National Forest and features Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman, and Claude Jarman, Jr.
2. BENEATH THE 12-MILE REEF
This was filmed around Tarpon Springs and has some great scenes of what the city looked like when the film was made. It has sponge diving scenes and stars Robert Wagner, Terry Moore, and Gilbert Roland.
3. CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON
This film features Ricou Browning as the creature and Richard Carlson and Julia Adams as the hero and heroine. It was made in the 1950s and was filmed largely in Wakulla Springs. Two sequels were made of the film
4. THE ROSE TATTOO
The film was based on a play by Tennessee Williams, who lived in Key West. The film was made largely around Key West and starred Burt Lancaster and Anna Magnani. Anna won the only Oscar for Best Actress for any film made in Florida.
5. OPERATION PETTICOAT
Cary Grant and Tony Curtis were great comedic actors in this film that was one of the biggest box office hits of 1959. Most of the movie was filmed in Key West. Key West has many naval installations which were good backdrops for the film.
6. WHERE THE BOYS ARE
Fort Lauderdale splashed on the national scene with this movie starring George Hamilton, Connie Francis, Jim Hutton, Dolores Hart and others. The film was so popular that the year after its release Fort Lauderdale became the spring break destination for thousands of college kids and stayed so for many years.
7. FOLLOW THAT DREAM
Elvis made this flick based on a Richard C. Powell novel, "Pioneer Go Home." It stars Elvis Presley and Joanna Moore along with Arthur O'Connell and others. It was filmed in Yankeetown, Ocala, and Inverness.
8. PT109
The movie tells the true story of President John F. Kennedy's heroic actions during World War Two in the South Pacific. Cliff Robertson plays JFK (the President approved the choice) and it was filmed around Little Palm Island in the Florida Keys. The island is an upscale resort today.
9. GOLDFINGER
The early scenes of this movie were filmed in the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. Sean Connery, Gert Frobe, and Honor Blackman starred. Most of the other scenes in the movie were filmed in England.
10. TARZAN FINDS A SON
This is the first movie where Boy shows up. The movie was filmed in Crystal Springs and Silver Springs. Boy's parents are killed in an airplane crash and Tarzan and Jane rescue him and raise him as their own.
11. THE GODFATHER PART II
Some of the scenes in this movie were filmed in Hialeah. It stars Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Robert DeNiro and others. It is a long movie, so the Florida scenes are few and far between.
12. SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT II
Burt Reynolds lived near Jupiter, and some of the movie was filmed there. Other stars in the movie include Sally Field, Dom DeLuise, and Jackie Gleason. Burt is the Bandit and has to deliver an elephant from Florida to Texas.
13. CROSS CREEK
The movie is based on the life of author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings who lived in Cross Creek for many years. It stars Mary Steenburgen, Rip Torn, and Peter Coyote. It was filmed in her actual Cross Creek home and in areas around Hawthorne, Cross Creek, and Micanopy.
14. SCARFACE
Starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer, the earliest scenes in the movie were filmed in Miami and Miami Beach. Pacino portrayed Tony Montana, a fictitious Cuban-American gangster. This upset local leaders who were upset over the negative image of Miami. They encouraged the film makers to get out of town, so many of the later scenes were filmed in New York and California.
15. COCOON
This was the second film directed by Ron Howard, and it had a large cast including Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn and Brian Dennehy. It focused on a fountain of youth brought to this world by aliens. It was mostly filmed in St. Petersburg and Tampa.
16. EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
Much of this movie was filmed in Lutz north of Tampa. It starred Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, and Vincent Price. Johnny Depp stars as a weird boy invented by a mad inventor who dies before finishing his project. Johnny Depp in real life is from Miramar, Florida.
17. DOC HOLLYWOOD
This film featuring Michal J. Fox and Julie Warner takes place in the fictional small town of Grady. The film was largely shot in Alachua County, Florida including Micanopy, McIntosh, and Gainesville.
18. APOLLO 13
This movie was filmed mainly in Titusville and Merritt Island. It is the true story of the almost fatal moon mission of Apollo 13. It stars Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Ed Harris and others. The action features Kennedy Space Center as well.
19. JUST CAUSE
This is a Sean Connery and Laurence Fishburne thriller that was filmed in Collier County, Lee County, Gainesville, Fort Myers, and Miami. Blair Underwood plays a black man sentenced to death for murdering a white girl. The movie is a real puzzler with a surprise ending.
20. THE BIRDCAGE
The movie was filmed in Miami, Miami Beach, and Fort Lauderdale. Robin Williams and Nathan Lane portray a gay couple trying to play straight in front of some very conservative parents played by Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest.
21. THE TRUMAN SHOW
Truman Burbank, played by Jim Carrey, is an ordinary guy living in an ideal town: at least that's what he thinks. He is actually the unwitting star of a TV reality show filmed by Ed Harris. Truman finally figures it out. The town is the real Seaside, Florida with some scenes also in nearby Panama City.
WHAT WEBSITE VISITORS HAVE TO SAY
From Sandy Kornheiser:
Thank you Mike for your article about movies made in Florida!!!
“True Lies” was filmed in the Keys including the famous helicopter rescue scene on the original 7 Mile Bridge, and downtown Miami. This corny movie is genius!
I recently rewatched “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”and it is filmed on South Beach, in the now demolished Orange Bowl, Joe Robbie Stadium, Vizcaya, Virginia Key, and I believe a boat yard on the Miami River. It’s actually a somewhat good movie, because the real dolphin mascot of the Miami Dolphins football team is kidnapped and he has to rescue him. Jim Carrey required his character, although a goofball, to actually be good at his job.
“The Substitute” (1996) was filmed at Miami Senior High School, South Beach, Fort Lauderdale Beach, Bob Roth’s New River Groves on Griffin Road, and Miami Jai-Alai. This is a great movie because it conquers gangs, drugs and corruption in a school.
“Porky’s” (1981) is classic Miami and Fort Lauderdale although perhaps too raunchy for your writing.
The Godfather Part II: Hyman Roth’s house is at 2045 N. Hibiscus Drive, in Keystone Point, North Miami. This is sort of funny because Hyman Roth was Jewish and a lot of Jewish people have lived in Keystone Point including my parents. Apparently the location scout wanted the real thing and must have had a connection to the residents.
When “The Birdcage” was being filmed, when I was at a red light in Boca Raton, my German Shepherd was hanging out the passenger window of my pickup truck. The man in the next car was making funny faces at the dog until my dog actually got scared and sat down on the seat. At the last second as the light turned green I saw it was Robin Williams.
I love starting my day with your history lessons! And I greatly appreciate the graphics you always include.
From Cowgirl Diva
Hey MIKE...I read your "Travels" newsletters regularly. You are not only a Florida Treasure but a National Treasure as well. You are a well-researched Historian. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences with your readers.
I would like to add to your "List of Movies Made in Florida" list, the movie Illegally Yours with Rob Lowe. I don't think it did so well at the Box Office but it was an entertaining, more or less comedy, movie filmed in my neighborhood Porpoise Point in Vilano Beach, St. Augustine.
It was very exciting in our neighborhood while it was being filmed and some of the neighbors were even extras in the movie.
I enjoy and look forward to your next newsletter. I have written to you before. We were are both UF Gators (Go Gators....Chomp, Chomp) We lived in Corry Village in Gainesville back in the '60s. Have a great day!
From Julie Garisto
I enjoyed your movies filmed in Florida story. I have a couple of corrections.
The fact that the Silver Springs monkeys were escapees of the "Creature from the Black Lagoon" movie set is a rumor and a misconception that's been repeated numerous times.
Please note that at a boat cruise captain at the attraction during its early years was responsible for the macaques living there now. You might want to Google boat captain and monkeys and Silver Springs so you can get the full story.
A handful of notable films were left out off the list (many shot in Tampa Bay, where I grew up; on in Mount Dora!). I realize you dont' want to include *every* film, but I think some deserve mention: "Summer Rental" starring John Candy was a big deal when I was growing up in Clearwater. People of all ages from our community appeared as extras in the film, shot on Sunset Beach, Treasure Island Beach and other nearby locations.
One of our substitute gym teachers at Oak Grove Middle even had a small part!
Beach Theater, a charming historic theater just reopened on St. Pete Beach and is screening the John Candy classic released in 1985.
Another movie shot in the Tampa Bay area featured Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston: The Infiltrator, released in 2016 and based on the true story of former U.S. Customs agent Robert Mazur, who infiltrated drug cartels operating in the Tampa Bay area.
Filming locations included various sites in Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties, such as Port Tampa Bay and the Loews Don CeSar Hotel on St. Pete Beach.
Also, the producers of Honky Tonk Freeway painted the town of Mount Dora pink in the late 1970s! The zany film released in 1981 and stars William Devane.
I realize you didn't want to do a comprehensive story. There are too many films screened in our fair state! But there are some films I felt should be on the list.
Some others include Cop and a Half, Spring Breakers (critically raved and controversial), Magic Mike, Great Expectations (adapation of Dickens classic) and Dolphin Tale (1 & 2).
Thanks for entertaining us, enlightening us and keeping us in touch with our history.
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Other movies filmed in Florida from Wikipedia
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