Birds in Paradise and Duck Key
Image of reel one of original vhs version of Birds in Paradise
Duck Key and Marathon were used as locations for the filming a cable movie produced in 1984. The made-for-cable Playboy movie" Birds in Paradise" was produced by Bennet Fode, Duck Key resident.
The plot has three women inheriting a luxury yacht in Marathon in the Florida Keys. Scenes have lots of tropical sun and very little clothing.
The film setting was identified as Marathon in the Florida Keys and one of the female "stars" supposedly was a real Marathon resident with the stage name of Sue Morrow. Most scenes were filmed on a yacht at the Buccaneer Resort Marina and a few scenes showed pole dancing (strip tease at the circular bar of the Buccaneer.
The Buccaneer was a very nice vacation spot at the time of the filming. The property was purchasedby the Singh Company around 2004 and all buildings torn down and replaced with the upscale resort called Tranquility Bay Beach Resort & Beach House Rentals in Marathon Florida
Tranquility Bay.
Tranquility Reservations
Tranquility map
View from the old Buccaneer dock with the Faro Blanco Resort Lighthouse in the background.
Several scenes appear to use the old Santini Porpoise School ( now the Dolphin Research Center) as a location (Ghost Island looking for treasure). The film attempts to be comedic and would be rated R or soft porn today as it has much female nudity, baring of it all and many love making scenes.
The women discover they can't board the Yacht "Insatiable" until they pay a hefty $10,000 loan installment. They seek a loan and jobs in Marathon unsuccessfully (scenes of Key West and the Southern Cross Hotel) and find success in raising money by operating an improvised and sexy car wash, among many other ventures to gain the funds to pay of the loan.
Duck Key (identified as Lime Key) appears in one scene with a power boat traveling the islands canals and a dining room scene (stripping) takes place in Bennet Fode's Center Island home. The film originally about several episodes produced for the Playboy channel included some interior shots of Bennet Fode's house dining room. Also shown was some limited scenes of the front channel entrance and the canal in front of ( #156 to 166 Indies Drive South) Ricard and Rosemary Rickheimer's and Webb and Micky Gokey's homes.
A humorous aside - One of the lady residents hearing that the video included views of Duck Key had acquired the tape for showing at a luncheon/party at the Gokey's home and started to show it to the assemblage. As explained to me, when the nudity began, the film was shut down -- and its reputation spread.
A resident attending the film commented,
"The acting was dumb but we got such a kick out of it. They started making love before they ever got to Duck Key. Then we all recognized homes around the island. Just before the boat docked, two women on the boat were making up the beds and low and behold they started making love together. I remember that D......... stood up and said she couldn't take anymore. Every one started walking out EXCEPT for E.......... She said she wanted to see the movie and she intended to stay until the end. We all thought that was such a scream."
The filming was done by an individual who worked in both film and tv in Canada with Bennet Fode. The photographer was a friend of a resident of Duck Key and because of the film's notarity the resident wisely obtained a copy of the reels for Birds in Paradise for the sake of posterity.
The original reels of the film were later shortened into a 96 minute movie now on DVD. The abbreviated DVD version no longer shows the Duck Key scenes.
Female Cast
Sue Morrow
Sue Morrow at the Buccaneer Resort with Faro Blanco Lighthouse in background. It is thought that Sue Morrow was a Marathon resident. This is the only film she ever appeared in.
Jeannine Louise at car wash at what looks like Key Colony Drive.
Jennifer Inch
Cover art for DVD-R version - Color - Approximate running time is 97 minutes.
Birds of Paradise is available for about $20 at http://www.ioffer.com/selling/pmmtreasures. Remember this abbreviated DVD version no longer shows the Duck Key scenes. The original videos with the Duck Key scenes are presently stored in Cape Cod and I hope to be able to borrow them and reproduce the Duck Key images for this web page sometime in the summer of 2006.
The video also was promoted under the title Soft-Touch
