When Irish Eyes Are Crying

Miami Vice

Episode 45

Original air date: 09/26/1986.

Filming for this episode took place from 07/01/86 thru 07/11/86 with additional filming of 6 scenes on Tuesday, 07/22/86 and on 08/22/86 for three more scenes.

I have not done any accounting to see if it holds a record but this seems to have been one of the most dangerous episodes of Vice to work on. Nearly everyday of filming at least 1 or 2 people were injured. From a wooden cross falling off a wall and hitting an extra to the Director, Mario Di Leo being accidentally shot with a plug from one of the machine guns. He had to be rushed to the hospital via helicopter. The filming continued when Don Johnson stepped in and took over directing.

The episode starts off in a parish hall with a slide show and talk being given in order to raise money for the Irish. The Vice squad was told that this was to be an arms deal. Instead it ends up being an attempted hit. This was filmed at St. Patrick’s Church, 3700 North Meridian Avenue, Miami Beach.

Then we see the opening montage. This is the 7th variation of the montage that we see (not counting slight differences in length of segments and differing colors on the Miami Vice logo). This is very similar to what will become the standard season 3 opening montage but instead of seeing the Testarossa on Collins Ave., we see a cut of Bal Harbor.

After the opening montage, Act 1 opens inside the O.C.B. (set at Greenwich Studios). Gina gets benched as expected and then she cheers up after receiving a call from the orator at the slide show, Sean Carroon.

Then we see Bluto and Lee Harvey better known as Switek and Zito arrive at Bunny Berrigan’s house. Bunny is in the pool, there is no sign of Sean as he is now staying in a hotel. This house should look familiar. I recognized it right away because of the stairway seen in the background. This is the same house that Lombard’s girl lived in. The “Borroto house”, 241 Harbor Drive, Key Biscayne.

Next we see Crockett and Tubbs track Izzy Down. This was filmed on Washington Avenue at 6th Street on Miami Beach. We see this location used in the movie Bad Boys as well as in the Miami Vice episode, Freefall.

Next we see Gina meet with Sean at a romantic bayside park. This was filmed at the north tip of Virginia Key. The beach has grown over with low vegetation now, but otherwise unchanged.

However; mainland Miami has grown up considerably.

Then we cut to evening, and Gina and Sean are having diner. The exterior establishing shot was likely stock footage, possibly still from the Miami area. If you recognize it please let me know at cglide@floridamovielocations.org

The interior of the restaurant was filmed at a familiar Vice location. The Barcelona Hotel, 4343 Collins Ave. We have previously seen the Barcelona Hotel in; Lombard, Buddies, and Definitely Miami.

Then we cut to an establishing shot of the exterior of Carroon’s beach hotel. Location unknown. Looks like more stock footage.

Then we go inside where Gina is Gina. The interior was also filmed at the Barcelona Hotel.

Then it cuts to the interior of the O.C.B., a set at Greenwich Studios. Here we meet Cross who is after Carroon.

Then we go to Max Klizer’s. This was a set at the studio.

Then we cut to Gina and Carroon in his hotel room (Barcelona Hotel) preceded by a quick shot of Bayfront Park and Downtown Miami.

Next we see Stan and Larry doing some surveillance. This was filmed on Collins Ave. at 43rd Street.

This is where we first see the Testarossa, in black.

Then we see Tubbs waiting for Gina. This was filmed on N. Meridian Ave. at West 40th St. Tubbs is parked on (the south side) of West 40th Street right where it meets Meridian Avenue. Gina approaches walking northbound on the west side of Meridian Avenue.

They are watching Bunny who comes out of 3923 Alton Road. No where near Collins Ave. More movie magic. We see this store in the background of Burn Notice episode 64; Bloodlines.

Parked

Door Bunny exits.

Then we go to another familiar Miami Vice location. Jimbo’s on Virginia Key. Here Crockett meets with the arms dealer, Eddie Kay.

Then we return briefly to Bunny’s house on Key Biscayne.

Then we see Cross and Castillo eating lunch in the same restaurant where we saw Gina and Carroon eat diner. The Hotel Barcelona.

Then we go to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park to the area by No Name Harbor. Another location we have seen used in Vice before. We saw it used in episode 28, Junk Love. Here Stan and Larry listen in on Sean and Bunny.

Then we see an establishing exterior shot of Gold Coast Shipping before going inside the O.C.B. (set).

From there we cut to Max’s office (studio set) where Bunny ups the bid for the stingers.

Max calls Eddie who is riding in a deuce and a half out on Virginia Key between Jimbo’s and the beach where Gina met with Sean.

Then we see Crockett and Tubbs arriving in a gravel pit and meeting Eddie to pick up a truck load of weapons with their Daytona.

The question of fitting the weapons into the Daytona is resolved when Crockett questions if the batteries are any good in the stingers.

Then we see an establishing shot of the SE Financial Center at 200 S. Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. This is no doubt footage from episode 40, The Fix.

Then we go inside Max’s place which was filmed on a set at Greenwich Studios.

From there we return to the O.C.B. (set).

Then we go to Sean’s hotel room (Barcelona Hotel) where Gina cannot get control of herself and has to leave. Then we see Cross in his hotel room (studio set), call Sean and warn him off the beach.

Then we cut to the inside of the O.C.B.(set) where Castillo organizes the take down.

Then we cut to Stan and Larry outside Berrigan’s house (241 Harbor Dr. K.B.) They radio Gina and Trudy that he is leaving. Gina and Trudy are in the Dade County Communications Center, a set at Greenwich Studios.

Then we see Bunny traveling eastbound on NW 21st Street and turn right (south) onto NW 39th Ave. Larry and Stan are following.

Castillo is watching from above.

Bunny has pulled into Carroon’s hotel. This was filmed, not at the Barcelona Hotel but out west by the airport where we just saw Berrigan turn. What at the time was the Sheraton Riverside, 3900 NW 21st Street. Now it is a Wyndham Hotel.

Then it is showtime. They leave the hotel with their tail and it cuts briefly to Castillo’s helicopter hovering above. Then we see Berrigan and Carroon pull into a parking garage. This is actually the police garage at Miami International Airport. At the time it was Pan American Parking Lot # 1.

They park on the second floor at the base of the ramp that goes to the third floor.

Eddie Kay and Bunny Berrigan leave in the van to decoy toward the beach. Stan and Larry enter the garage to look for Sean.

We then tail Eddie and Bunny past a Winn Dixie Supermarket. Location unknown.

Then we see them arrive at No Name Harbor at the end of Key Biscayne.

The Vice Squad neutralizes Kay and Berrigan, then realize that a Stinger is missing.

Then we get a nice view of the old MacArthur Causeway.

Then it cuts to Carroon atop the Pan American parking garage at Miami International Airport. We see this same background from a different angle in episode 29, Tale of The Goat where Crockett and Tubbs meet Legba’s coffin at terminal D.