LANDOF FILM

IF JAMAICA WERE AN ACTOR SHE WOULD HAVE

APPEARED IN MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED AND

FORTY-ONE FILMS ACCORDING TO A POPULAR

INTERNET DATABASE. OFTEN FILMS SHOT IN OTHERCOUNTRIES SUCH AS FIJI WOULD HAVE ADDITIONAL

FOOTAGE COMING FROM JAMAICA AND THE

BAHAMAS WHICH WERE TWO POPULAR SPOTS FOR

TROPICAL ISLAND FOOTAGE

DENZEL WASHINGTON AND SHERYL LEE RALPHIN MIDGHTY QUINN, SHOT IN PORT ANTONIO

58 S U M M E R 2017 JAMAQUEPARADIS .COM

— By Peter Polack

(1989)

WORLD CULTURE

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The prodigious output of films shot on location inJamaica led The New York Times to proclaimJamaica as “An Island Rediscovers Its Role as theLittle Hollywood Of the Caribbean” in a 1988article. Economic benefits in recent years wereconfirmed by a 1990 comment in The HollywoodReporter that “Club Paradise was the foreignproduction that most benefited the localeconomy, adding US$5.3 million to the coffers”.One of the most costly films for its time at US$1

million was the 1916 drama A Daughter of the Gods that not only sawsubstantial set construction in the capital Kingston, but one of the earliestexamples of partial nudity by actress Annette Kellermann in mainstream cinema.

Jamaica was also home to at least one example of the horror genre withthe 1991 film Popcorn shot in part at the iconic Ward Theatre in downtownKingston — renamed Dreamland Theatre for the production.

The progression towards ‘made for television films’ also made Jamaica auseful location such as the Viacom production Scam with Christopher Walken in1991. Additionally the film recorded the acting debut of reggae singer, Maxi Priest.

There were a few unfortunate occasions when productions such as Island inthe Sun, shot in Barbados and Grenada during 1957, were mistakenly attributedto Jamaica by even official sources. One film, the 1970 Jungle production ofSkullduggery starring Burt Reynolds, appeared on some records to have been shotin Papua New Guinea and Samoa when in fact it was filmed on location inJamaica for safety reasons.

This idea began much earlier with the locale for Captain Blood (1935)portrayed as Port Royal but in fact was Three Arch Bay in Laguna Beach,California, and the subterfuge has been perpetuated.

The star, Errol Flynn, came to have a more realistic and enduringattraction for Jamaica and Port Antonio later in life.

Jamaican-themed films not shot on location included City Beneath theSea based on the book Port Royal: The Ghost City Beneath the Sea; JamaicaRun and Swashbuckler which were shot in Mexico.

This was a worldwide phenomenon with the blockbusters Pirates of theCaribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales filmed in Australia and Pirates of theCaribbean: On Stranger Tides using Hawaii.

Jamaica was sufficiently popular as a film location to have severalproductions in one year such as Live and Let Die as well as Papillon in 1973.Jamaican-based productions provided opportunities for local actors over thedecades. Pre-eminent among them was Claudia Robinson in Wide SargassoSea; she was described by the New York magazine as “A remarkable actress”.

The popularity of earlier Jamaica located films was based on low productioncosts, its close proximity to Florida, the availability of extras with prior experiencefrom the frequent productions on the island and its “exotic locale” appeal,including good weather.

The list of international film productions in Jamaica includes Dr. No, Lordof the Flies, Father Goose, A High Wind in Jamaica, In Like Flint, Live and LetDie, Papillon, Club Paradise, Clara’s Heart, Cocktail, The Mighty Quinn, WideSargasso Sea, Cool Runnings, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, License to Wedand Knight and Day.

The last major international production in Jamaica was Knight and Daywith Tom Cruise in 2010 but Jamaica has maintained a large welcome mat withtheir energetic and youthful Daryl Vaz, Minister of Land, The Environment,Climate Change and Investment, continuing the long tradition of supportingsuch ventures.

He is also the long- standing member of Parliament for West Portland, thehistorical and landscape favourite of film producers and location managers -thisbodes well for a quantum leap by the film industry in Jamaica.

Jamaican luxury hotels featured in several movies over the years. Theyhave also provided a celebrity hideaway since the 1950’s and the most prominentamong them is the fabulous Round Hill Villas on the outskirts of Montego Bay.

The spy flick sequel to Our Man Flint— called In Like Flint— was shotin Jamaica with locations at Dunn’s River Falls and the Round Hill Hotel.Directed by Gordon Douglas for the 20th Century Film Corporation and releasedin 1967, it was a tale about a spy trying to stop an organization of women fromtaking over the world.

Round Hill also featured in part of the film Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma’sHung you in the Closet and I’m Feelin’ So Sad, starring Rosalind Russell. It wasshot by Paramount and also used the Montego Bay airport as a location. Ms.Russell, more famously known for her turn with Cary Grant in His Girl Friday,was a frequent visitor to Round Hill along with many actors, celebrities andmembers of the jet set.

The successful Terry McMillan novel, How Stella Got Her Groove Back,became a movie in 1998 with lead Angela Bassett. It was produced by a greatfriend of Jamaica with many credits to her name, Deborah Schindler, who hasvacationed with her family at Round Hill for three generations.

That luxurious film set encouraged a return by actor Taye Diggs for awedding on the Round Hill beach to Broadway star Idina Menzel.

The Tom Cruise film, Cocktail, that featured a steamy waterfall scene atReach Falls was a production that lasted for several weeks in Jamaica. TomCruise and his then wife, Mimi Rogers, stayed at the old Trident hotel in theeastern parish of Portland during filming. The film gave Tom Cruise his bestopening revenue at the time which by one estimate was $300 million.

In 1988, Whoopi Goldberg appeared in Clara’s Heart as a Jamaicanhousekeeper at a vacation resort who befriends a young boy, Neil Patrick Harris.The picture also included the classy Trident Hotel which has since changedownership followed by a beautiful renovation that now includes several statelyvillas with private, heated pools.

“the frequent productions on the island and its “exotic locale”appeal, including good weather

”

TOP: ANNETTEKELLERMAN IN

A DAUGHTER

OF THE GODS;BELOW (L-R):POCORN; SIR.SEAN CONNERY

IN DR NO,JAMES BOND

(1916)

(1962)(1991)

| WORLD C U LTURE | | WORLD C U LTURE |

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TOM CRUISE AND CAMERON DIAZ IN DAY AND NIGHT

TOP L-R: JAMES COBURN,THORDIS BRANDT,JENNIFER GAN, INGEJAKLYN, AND INGANEILSEN IN LIKE FLINT;TOM CRUISE IN

COCKTAIL; ERROL FLYNNAND OLIVIA DEHAVILLAND

IN CAPTAIN BLOOD;ANGELA BASSETT IN HOW

STELLA GOT HER GROOVE;ROSALIND RUSSELL AT

ROUND HILL; THETRIDENT CASTLE, PORTANTONIO; MARILYNMONROE AND ARTHUR

MILLER AT JAMAICA INN

“Caribic Vacations hasrecently been

appointed the ‘JamaicaLand of Film’ tour

operator. It showcasesmultiple film

production locationsto visitors, from

Falmouth eastwards toOcho Rios and in thewest, from MontegoBay to Hanover.

”

(1967) (1988)

(1869)

(1996)

(1959)

| WORLD C U LTURE | | WORLD C U LTURE |

(2010)

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The next year MGM produced The Mighty Quinn at Port Antoniowith actors Denzel Washington, Jamaican-born Sheryl LeeRalph and well-known local screen actor, Carl Bradshaw. Varioussites in the parish, including the Folly mansion ruins and TridentCastle (where Denzel was seduced by Mimi Rogers), were

included in the production.Many years ago, Sea Wife with Richard Burton and Joan Collins involved

beach footage in Ocho Rios which remains a popular spot with numerous high-quality tourist hotels nearby available to cater to cast and crew alike after a longday in the tropical sun.

Produced by Andre Hakim who was accompanied by his wife Susan, thedaughter of Darryl Zanuck, the cast and producers stars stayed at the famedJamaica Inn. Other areas included in the location schedule were Kingston, usedto represent Singapore. Priory in St. Ann — including the area at the LaughingWaters property where the Roaring River meets the sea with many picturesquefalls — was used to simulate the Cottonwood home of English industrialist SirBernard Docker.

Twenty-three year old Joan Collins managed to go rafting on the RioGrande and visit Brown’s Emporium in Ocho Rios to shop for locally madegoods in her off time. There was a marine scene included of a torpedoed boatwith hundreds of extras — this sequence was happily preceded by RichardBurton participating in a local cricket match.

In 1985 Warner Brothers came to Portland for four months to startproduction of a comedy directed by Harold Ramis of Ghostbusters fame. Herepeatedly wrote in new locations as he saw more and more beautiful spots.

In a storyline similar to Herman Wouk’s Don’t Stop the Carnival, RobinWilliams joined up with singer Jimmy Cliff for Club Paradise using the oldDragon Bay resort in Portland.

Following the well-worn practice of using fictitious place names, beautifulJamaica was renamed St. Nicholas. One review revealed a US$36 million budget

as well as a prevailing opinion that experienced actor Jimmy Cliff gave the bestperformance of the show, and included his singing ability.

This was a boom time for Portland after the depressed Seventies, withemployment of hundreds, multiple donations by the crew and cast to localinstitutions and charities as well as the full-capacity of bars and hotels. ClubParadise took on a wider dimension as it created a tropical heaven for producers,cast, crew, Jamaicans and ultimately, the audience.

The 2007 Warner Brothers release License to Wedwith Mandy Moore, JohnKrasinski and Robin Williams was a marriage-based comedy with honeymoonfootage in Jamaica at the deluxe Sandals Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios.

The film had its Jamaican premiere at the Carib cinema with chairman ofJamaica Trade and Invest, Robert Gregory, announcing that Jamaica had earnedUS$7 million in 2006 from film production. This was an outstanding progressreport by any measure and due in no small part to the efforts of then PrimeMinister, P.J. Patterson.

The world outside Jamaica has become an unstable place: many conflictsin many places spilling over into Europe and North America make filmmakingwith large crowds and foreign crew no longer a cautious exercise but a perilousundertaking even at the best of times.

Jamaica has a wide variety of landscapes from the sea caves of Negril to thedesert like seascapes near Treasure Beach; the vast open areas of Vernamfield onto the lush Blue Mountains; several picturesque valleys that flow down to themagnificent north coast with unspoiled rivers and coastlines. They all make theisland a compelling case for a visit, soon.

Caribic Vacations has recently been appointed the ‘Jamaica Land of Film’tour operator. It showcases multiple film production locations to visitors, fromFalmouth eastwards to Ocho Rios and in the west, from Montego Bay to Hanover.With landscapes filled with scenic vistas, there are few better ways to discover theisland than walking in the footsteps of the movie stars who have captured thebeauty of Jamaica’s landscape in film. JP•S17

TOP, L-R: ROUND HILLAND VILLAS; JAMAICA INN;

BELOW, L-R: SANDALS ROYALPLANTATION HOTEL; WARD

THEATRE, KINGSTON;STELLA VILLA ROUND

HILL AND VILLAS.

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