When you think of fly-over country, Tampa Bay is probably not the first thing that comes to your mind. But as far as commercial flights are concerned, that’s the original fly-over territory. It wasn’t until I flew out of the Tampa Airport yesterday that I learned that the first commercial flight back in 1914 was from St. Petersburg to Tampa.
So I thought I’d find a screenwriter from St. Pete and came up with Michael France who was born there in 1962. France graduated from the University of Florida before breaking into the movie business in 1991 when his spec script Cliffhanger was sold. In 1993 it became a hit film starring Sylvester Stallone. He was credited for the story on the James Bond film Goldeneye, as well as co-screenwriter of Hulk and Fantastic Four.
According to IMDB, “Movies made from Michael France’s screenplays have earned well over one billion dollars in worldwide theatrical admissions, and at least another billion dollars in home video revenues.”
France lives in the Pass-a-Grille section on the southern tip of St. Pete Beach and in 2007 he purchased the local Film Paradiso Beach Theatre . (How many screenwriters and filmmakers dream of buying an old theater? France is the only one I know who ever followed that dream to the finish line.) And because I’m a big fan of the film, I should point out the Up in the Air is playing this week at the Beach Theater. On Saturday nights’ they play The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Laurel & Hardy pictures on Saturday mornings. Something for everybody. (Heck, this past Sunday they even held a tribute for the librarian at the St. Pete Library and who passed away in December.) A community movie theater at its best.
This is the same theater that France’s parents and grandparents took him to movies as a child. Don’t you love happy endings?
[…] When you think of fly-over country, Tampa Bay is probably not the first thing that comes to your mind. But as far commercial flights, that’s the original fly-over territory. It wasn’t until I flew out of the Tampa Airport yesterday that I learned that the first commercial flight back in 1914 was from St. Petersburg […] Original Source… […]
This is a nice read. Thank you.