Now we go to Federal Agent Scott Wheeler's house. Only earlier in the movie it was Crockett's wife, Caroline's house. Now it is Scottie's house and the location for a very dramatic scene.
Located off Biscayne Blvd. in a small, gated community on the bay.
550 NE 51st Street.
This leads us into one of the greatest scenes in television history. C+T driving in Miami at night with Phil Collins playing as part of the scene. I believed for a long time that this was all filmed on Biscayne Blvd. It was not all filmed there.
The first cut starts with C+T headed southbound on NW 42nd Avenue. They start by the Ocean Bank at the intersection of NW 7th Street.
Crockett makes a brief stop at a payphone to call his wife. This was filmed on Watson Island with downtown Miami in the background. The famous Bernay's Cafe sign was made for the show and hung there but the Cafe never actually existed.
In the picture below right, my friend Dan J makes a call from the same location Crockett made his call.
They pull out and are again driving on NW 42nd Avenue passing NW 7th Street headed southbound. For a long time I thought this cut was filmed on U.S. 1/Biscayne Blvd. However; If you watch the reflections in the Daytona’s hood as the cut starts, we see a reflection of the Ocean Bank sign lit up, proving this was filmed at NW 42nd Ave, and NW 7th Street.
They go to the drug deal on the Miami River. This is the same location as the first meet where crockett's boat is stolen by Tubbs. Bojean’s Boatyard, 3031 NW South River Drive, Miami.
Next we see C+T go to the jail to pull Calderone out and hide him upstate. This occurs in the same building that is used as the O.C.B. 3033 NW N. River Drive, Miami.
This leads C+T into some great night time driving in the Daytona on Biscayne Blvd.
The first cut of this driving scene starts in the 2000 block of Biscayne Blvd. and proceeds southbound. Where it starts, on the left was a Toyota store. This is now a Staples store. Then on the right there is a BMW store which is Braman BMW and it is still there.
The first cut runs until they pass N.E. 19 St. and the First Church Of Christ Scientist.
The picture below is looking north up Biscayne Blvd. This picture was taken from where cut 1 of this driving scene ended. It shows the stretch they just traveled down. The building with the blue and white art design on it is the Bicardi Building. It is just before the Bicardi rum building that cut 1 starts.
Cuts 2 thru 5 are close ups that all appear to be the same area of Biscayne Blvd.
Cuts 6, thru 11 were filmed southbound on Biscayne Blvd. now near the Omni passing N.E. 17th St. If you look real close there is a couple of spots where you can make out the Burger King across from the Omni that still stands today. Cut 7 is the best shot to see the Burger King. You have to look closely because neither the restaurant nor the signs have any lights on.
Cuts 12 + 13 shows Calderone arriving at Chalk's Airlines on Watson Island.
Cut 14 shows C+T traveling southbound on Biscayne again, only now they are back up where the drive started. In fact the cut starts about 200 yards or so north of where the first cut started.
Cuts 15 + 16 show close ups of C + T Driving. Locations unknown.
Cut 17 shows Calderone walking past the front of his Mercedes parked at Chalk Airline on Watson Island.
Cuts 18 + 19 are close ups of C + T. Locations unknown.
Cut 20 shows C+T on Biscayne, southbound in the same spot as cuts 6 thru 11. This time they blow through a red light at N.E. 17th Street.
Cut 21 continues from the spot where cut 20 leaves off at N.E. 17th Street and continues south past the Sears building. This is one of the best shots of the Sears building and tower that we see in Vice. At the end of the cut C + T then turn left, on N.E. 13th Street, so they will be headed east toward Watson Island.
Cut 22 has C + T arriving at Chalk's only moments to late. Then something happens that I had never seen before on television. The bad guy gets away. C + T are left standing on the ramp.
The satellite picture below shows where Calderone takes off in Chalk's sea plane, (lower far right). C+T jump on the Tunita to go meet Calderone for drug deal, (this occurs just to the left of Chalk's in the picture below). To the left of that toward the bottom middle of the picture is where Crockett calls Caroline from the pay phone outside the mythical Bernay's cafe.
They did not catch the bad guy, but they do ride off into the sunrise. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.
This occurs on 195 headed east over Biscayne bay toward Miami Beach.
THE END (OF WHAT STARTED IT ALL.)
Please click on the picture below to continue on to episode 2,
Heart Of Darkness.
If you recognize any of the unknown locations or have something else to add, please let me know at: cglide@floridamovielocations.org
They continue past the Citizen’s Federal Bank at NW 6th Street.
The first cut continues down to approximately NW 5th Street before it cuts.
Cut 2 is a close up and not enough is seen to determine it’s exact location but likely filmed in the same area.
Cut three was also filmed on NW 42nd Avenue. Now they are northbound from about NW 2nd Street. They pass the IHOP at NW 3rd Street.
Cuts 4 and 5 are likely in the same area but I have not tracked them down yet. Location unknown.
Cut 6: Thanks to airtommy@miamiviceonline.com who found this location we know this was filmed on location driving northbound on SW 42nd Ave (La Jeune Road) from SW 5th Terrace to SW 4th Street.
Then we see them arrive on Watson Island.
In cut 4 they drive south past the Omni on Biscayne Blvd. If you look closely you can see the Sears tower for several seconds at the end of the cut.
Then the second cut after leaving Watson Island, they are farther south on NW 42nd Avenue still headed southbound. They pass by this apartment building at NW 3rd Street as the cut ends.
Then cut three, location unknown.
Then we see them arrive at Chalk’s Airline, on Watson Island. Interestingly they are only a few feet away from where they stopped to use the pay phone. There they board the Tunita, a boat out of Hollywood, Fl., to go up river.
