Motion Picture Paradise

Highlighting Florida’s essential, often overlooked role in shaping American film and television



Motion Picture Paradise
is a sweeping story of filmmaking in Florida, featuring the activities
of studios and filmmakers across the peninsula by looking at the many
iconic films and television shows shot in the state. In the early years
of the American film industry, Florida was a favorite location for
pioneer movie makers, and David Morton chronicles the state’s importance
to producers throughout the next 125 years.



Often
overshadowed by the well-known entertainment industries of Hollywood and
New York, Florida has over time had several major film production
centers. Morton follows the rise and fall of filmmaking destinations
across the state, including Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Tampa Bay,
Orlando, and Miami, as well as pioneering underwater and location-based
films shot at Florida’s unique natural springs. He argues that
conflicting policies set by Florida politicians have, at various times,
enticed or pushed away movie and television companies, a pattern that
has hampered serious investment.



Using a wealth of source
materials, Morton offers a comprehensive history that demonstrates how
films and television shows made in Florida have influenced the state’s
sense of identity, drawing attention to Florida’s underacknowledged role
as the “third coast” in American film history. Motion Picture Paradise adds new insights into the state’s dramatic social and economic transformations during the twentieth century.