Miami Blues (1990)

Director:

George Armitage

Writers (WGA):

Charles Willeford (novel)
George Armitage (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 April 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Real badge. Real gun. Fake cop.

Plot:

When Fred Frenger gets out of prison, he decides to start over in Miami, Florida, where he starts a violent one-man crime wave...

Plot Keywords:

Miami Florida | Breasts | Nipples | Reference To A White Picket Fence | Attraction

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Alec Baldwin	...	Frederick J. Frenger Jr.
Cecilia Pérez-Cervera	...	Stewardess
Georgie Cranford	...	Little Boy at Miami Airprt
Edward Saxon	...	Krishna Ravindra at Miami Airport
José Pérez	...	Pablo
Obba Babatundé	...	Blink Willie, Informant
Fred Ward	...	Sgt. Hoke Moseley
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Susie Waggoner
Charles Napier	...	Sgt. Bill Henderson
Matt Ingersoll	...	Mourning Hare Krishna
Jack G. Spirtos	...	Pickpocket Victim
Raphael Rey Gomez	...	Pickpocket
Tony Paris	...	Pickpocket's Accomplice
Wendy Thorlakson	...	Toy Store Cashier
William Taylor Anderson Jr.	...	Crack Dealer
Gary Goetzman	...	Hotel Desk Clerk
Martine Beswick	...	Noira, Waitress (as Martine Beswicke)
Kenneth Utt	...	Krishna Ramba, Head Krishna
Kerrie Clark	...	Hooker on street
Nora Dunn	...	Ellita Sanchez
Maureen Fitzgibbon	...	Big Fish Waitress
Steve Geng	...	Big Fish Robber
Bobo Lewis	...	Edna Damrosch
Tony Tracy	...	Musclehead
Buddy Joe Hooker	...	Shorty, Drug Dealer Pier
Roy Datz	...	Julio
Julie Caitlin Brown	...	Purse Snatch Victim (as Caitlin Brown)
Marc Mercury	...	Purse Snatcher
Herb Goldstein	...	Eddie Cohen
Paul Gleason	...	Sgt. Frank Lackley
Vic Hunter	...	Bookie
Gary Howard Klar	...	Head Bookie (as Gary Klar)
Lou Garr	...	Convenience Store Clerk
Patrick Cherry	...	Convenience Store Robber
Nancy Duerr	...	Newswoman on TV
Lisa Bell	...	Sausage Girl
Edward Knott III	...	Supermarket Stud
Shirley Stoler	...	Edie Wulgemuth
Joe Hess	...	Pedro, Pawnshop Guard
Carmen López	...	Woman in Sports Car
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brent Armitage	...	Carjacked Dealer (uncredited)

Directed by
George Armitage

Writing credits (WGA)
Charles Willeford		(novel)
George Armitage		(screenplay)

Produced by
Ronald M. Bozman	....	co-producer (as Ron Bozman)
Jonathan Demme	....	producer
Gary Goetzman	....	producer
William Horberg	....	associate producer
Edward Saxon	....	executive producer
Kenneth Utt	....	co-producer
Fred Ward	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Gary Chang

Cinematography by
Tak Fujimoto		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Craig McKay

Casting by
Howard Feuer

Production Design by
Maher Ahmad

Set Decoration by
Don K. Ivey

Costume Design by
Eugenie Bafaloukos

Makeup Department
Alan D'Angerio	....	hair stylist
Carl Fullerton	....	makeup artist
David James	....	dental applications (as Dr. David James DDS)
Neal Martz	....	additional makeup artist
Uri Yarovesky	....	dental special effects: Da Vinci Dental Studios, Los Angeles

Production Management
Marshall Persinger	....	post-production supervisor
Kenneth Utt	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ronald M. Bozman	....	first assistant director
Kyle McCarthy	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Bert Bertolami	....	set dresser
Eugene Bright	....	carpenter
Michael Charboneau	....	carpenter
Harold Collins	....	construction coordinator (as Harold Collins Jr.)
James P. Crapser	....	carpenter (as James Crapser)
Daniel Duarte	....	scenic artist
Jose Duarte	....	head scenic artist
Nicklas Farrantello	....	art department assistant (as Nick Farrantello)
José González	....	scenic artist (as Jose Gonzalez)
Eric Helfritz	....	swing gang
Richard Helfritz	....	lead man
Rodger Howard	....	scenic artist
Jay Ivey	....	set dresser
James Long	....	carpenter
James Robinson II	....	assistant props
Nicholas J. Romanac	....	property master (as Nicholas Romanac)
Sandra Schmalaried	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Wallace R. Bearden	....	adr recordist (as Wally Beardon)
Elisha Birnbaum	....	foley artist
David Boulton	....	adr recordist (as David Bolton)
Randall Coleman	....	adr editor
Jack Dalton	....	boom operator
Tom Fleischman	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Grossack	....	sound transfer technician
Kenton Jakub	....	assistant adr editor
Brian Katkin	....	apprentice sound editor
Bitty O'Sullivan-Smith	....	sound editor (as Bitty O'Sullivan Smith)
Dan Sable	....	supervising sound editor
Lynn Sable	....	assistant sound editor
Murray Solomon	....	assistant sound editor
Michael R. Tromer	....	sound mixer (as Michael Tromer)
Deborah Wallach	....	adr editor
Robert F. Warren	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Kevin Lee	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bob Cooper	....	assistant special effects (as Robert Cooper)
Kevin Harris	....	special effects coordinator

Stunts
Tom Bahr	....	stunts
Chick Bernhardt	....	stunts
Arthur J. Edwards	....	stunts
Joe Hess	....	stunts
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	stunt coordinator
Buddy Joe Hooker	....	stunts
Gary McLarty	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Demme	....	electrician
Edward Knott III	....	key grip
Ed Knott Jr.	....	best boy grip (as Edward Knott Jr.)
Kevin Knott	....	grip
Gustav Laas	....	electrician
William McConnell	....	first assistant camera
Walter G. Morris Jr.	....	gaffer (as Walter Morris Jr.)
Patrick Morris	....	best boy electric
Casey Osborne	....	grip
Don Reddy	....	camera operator
Mitch Reeves	....	electrician
Zade Rosenthal	....	still photographer
Doug Schwartz	....	second assistant camera
Bob Smaling	....	grip
Thomas Smaling	....	dolly grip
William Smaling	....	electrician
Robert Ulland	....	Steadicam operator
James M. Reeves	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Ed Arenas	....	extras casting
Vicki Factor	....	casting: Unique Casting, Miami
Yonit Hamer	....	casting: Unique Casting, Miami

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lynette Bernay	....	assistant costume designer
Robert Musco	....	wardrobe supervisor
Esther Robinson	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Lisa Bromwell	....	first assistant editor
Dale E. Grahn	....	color timer
Phil Hetos	....	color timer (as Philip Hetos)
Bill Johnson	....	additional editor
David Kirkman	....	apprentice editor
Maria Petrella	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Sharon Boyle	....	music supervisor
Joseph S. DeBeasi	....	music editor
Rick Lake	....	assistant music editor
Sandy K. Tanaka	....	music coordinator (as Sandy Tanaka)
Kevin Lee	....	music editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Michael A. Cherubino	....	transportation co-captain (as Mickey Cherubino)
Joyce M. Lark	....	transportation captain (as Joyce Lark)

Other crew
Bruce Armitage	....	production assistant
Jeffrey T. Barabe	....	production assistant (as Jeffrey Barabe)
Gray Beverley	....	assistant to producers
Sondra Dee Boyachek	....	assistant production coordinator
Kevin Cerchiai	....	projectionist
Bob Demme	....	unit publicist
Bob Dosh	....	marine coordinator
Robin Fajardo	....	assistant to producers
Loretta Farb	....	assistant to producers
Ethan Goldstine	....	assistant: Mr. Armitage
Richard Guay	....	financial consultant (as Rich Guay)
Gus Holzer	....	production associate
Thomas A. Imperato	....	financial representative
Betsy Marino	....	assistant to producers
Maria Alaina Mason	....	production assistant (as Maria Mason)
Vicki Dee Rock	....	production auditor (as Vicki Dee)
Angela Santa Maria	....	production assistant
Philip Schneider	....	craft service (as Phil Schneider)
David Solomon	....	assistant to producers
Cynthia Streit	....	production office coordinator
Sherry Thorup	....	location manager
Gloria M. Uribe	....	location manager (as Gloria Milena Uribe)
Corey B. Yugler	....	script supervisor (as Corey Yugler)
David Antell	....	personal trainer (uncredited)
Richard Guay	....	financial consultant (uncredited)

Thanks
Bill Dance	....	special thanks: Strike King Productions
Ramona Demme	....	special thanks
Lucy Fitts	....	special thanks (as Detective Lucy Fitts)
Gene Hackman	....	special thanks
Don Holmes	....	special thanks: Strike King Productions
Carol Kotkin	....	special thanks
Jack Mahterian	....	special thanks
Gary Mezzatesta	....	special thanks
Linda O'Brien	....	special thanks (as Seargent Linda O'Brien)
Rick Renick	....	special thanks: director, Miami-Dade Film Commission
Be-jioux Terner	....	special thanks
George Walden	....	special thanks: The Albert G. Ruben & Company Inc.
Scott Walker	....	special thanks
Betsy Willeford	....	special thanks
Charles Willeford	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• Tristes Tropiques

Distributors

• Orion Pictures Corporation (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (1991) (France) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1990) (UK) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Roadshow Home Video (199?) (Australia) (VHS)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Germany:16 (re-rating) | Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | UK:15 (DVD rating) | Ireland:15 | France:U | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:18A | Finland:K-16 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Miami Beach, Florida, USA

Company:

Tristes Tropiques

Trivia:

Suzanne Vega was up for the role of Susie Waggoner. She dropped out to make her third album "Days of Open Hand".

Quotes:

Sergeant Hoke Moseley: Your turn to notify the next of kin?
Sergeant Bill Henderson: No way. I did the fat lady that sat on the kid. That's good for two.

Movie Connections:

References Casablanca (1942)

Soundtrack:

FLOATIN'

A brilliant movie

This is one of those buried treasures of filmdom (like Prime Cut) that gets swept aside because it's a "genre" movie. But everything about is first-rate, beginning with the performances of the 3 main leads: Baldwin, Leigh, Ward. None has ever been better, each carves a unique unforgettable performance. The direction by Armitage (whose Grosse Pointe Blank is another great treasure) is outstanding. This movie MOVES, it zips & flips & turns on a dime, it's got the momentum that only really great movies have. The writing is terrific, I read the book before seeing the film & I recommend the book to anyone, it's great, Willeford was another great unsung.This movie has loads of little details that reveal themselves in viewing after viewing & then stay with you...forever! How about the fact that Baldwin's character appropriates the billfold & consequently the identity of a fellow airline passenger & goes around for much of the movie as Herman Gottlieb, Herman Gottlieb??!! Remember him? The famed opera impresario? No? Aw forget it...