The Key West Picture Show: a parody of a 1950's travelogue, filmed in Key West in the 1970's.

We rode the Conch Train, discussed art, architecture and island history. We were entertained by classical music played on the conch shell, and witnessed Captain Tony’s philosophy on sexdrive in the tropics. We filmed the coral reef with a treasure diver, one of the first to find gold on the site of Mel Fisher’s Spanish wrecks west of the island. We were a familiar sight around the island that summer and it was a labor of love. The result is a timeless glimpse of that era in Key West, a parody of a 1950’s educational travel film exploring the island with honesty and humor. As lifetime resident Sara Russell says at the end of the film “.… honey, you won’t see it again!” I hope you enjoy watching it as much as we did making it!

In 1977 Key West Florida was in sleepy transition. The U.S. Navy was leaving after generations of dominance, tourism was moderate and developers had not yet cast a longing eye down the Overseas Highway. It was still a backwater seaport dependent upon the Navy, commercial fishing and other often questionable maritime activities. Key West had always attracted writers, artists and musicians. Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams made their homes here and many other literary figures visited and vacationed. Closer to Cuba than mainland America, Key West is at the end of a 152 mile chain of islands. Remote and hard to reach, the Southernmost City developed a unique culture and a reputation for independence and individuality. In the 1970’s those of us who migrated to the island thrived on the cultural mix.

The bicycle was the primary transportation, and boating was a daily necessity. We lived off the bounty of the ocean. Cuban restaurants in every neighborhood served black beans, yellow rice and espresso. Friends gathered at the city dock at the end of every day to watch the sunset and celebrate the event. Key West was inexpensive, laidback and tolerant. In the summer of 1977 we set out to capture the mood of the island on film. We roamed Key West, interviewing locals and visitors—baked Cuban bread until dawn, danced with the comparsas, caught lobster with the fishermen and blessed the fleet.