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.