Celebrating the Cinematic Icon of Florida: Tony Rome, in Beachwear, Donning a Three-Piece Suit
At last Thanksgiving, while on a family vacation in Miami, an intriguing query surfaced in my thoughts: how is it possible for a man to appear stylish while lounging on a beach in a three-piece suit and fedora?
This enigma led me to the renowned Fontainebleau Hotel, the "America's First Luxury Resort," known for hosting celebrities such as Frank Sinatra. Opened in 1954, the Fontainebleau swiftly became a popular winter home for stars and entertainers. In 1960, Sinatra hosted a special Timex event featuring a freshly discharged serviceman from a three-year Army stint in West Germany. "Welcome Home Elvis" drew a massive audience, capturing 68% of American television viewers, and showcasing Sinatra's rendition of "Love Me Tender" and "Witchcraft" with the popular crooner.
Sinatra's connection with the Fontainebleau dates back to the hotel's early years, when he often played at the LaRonde Supper Club (now LIV). The club's birthday was dedicated to Sinatra in 2015, and the photo corridor displays photographs of the iconic singer throughout the years, including one of him relaxing on the beach in custom $1,000 attire, an image that left me eager to discover more.
This investigation led me to Tony Rome, a fictional character created by writer Marvin H. Albert. Albert authored a series of books about Rome, a former cop turned private investigator who lived and worked in Miami. In her interview with me, author Alex Segura, a Miami native and creator of the Pete Fernandez series, explained the appeal of this "Sunshine Noir" style of storytelling.
According to Segura, the term "noir" is often misused and overly simplified, but it encapsulates stories about people driven by a desperate, basic need to correct their mistakes due to lust, greed, or other primal desires. Segura notes that the endings of these stories typically don't have a tidy resolution, and the characters often pay dearly for their choices. Miami, with its dark underbelly contrasting with the sunny setting, is an ideal location for noir stories.
The Tony Rome series is set in an earlier, less-developed version of Miami, before it became synonymous with the '80s party scene. The city's small population and slower pace are key factors that add authenticity to the series. Albert's meticulous descriptions of various Miami neighborhoods, such as Collins Avenue, the Old Seven-Mile Bridge, Marathon Key, the 5th St. Gym, the Wreck Bar, Biscayne Bay, Gulfstream Park, and the magnificent Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, create a sense of place that enhances the reading experience.
The cinematic adaptations of the Tony Rome series, released in 1967 and 1968, offer an intriguing look at Miami in the JFK era, filled with go-go bars, car chases, and fashionable settings. The combination of Sinatra's Tony Rome character with a cast of sexily-clad actresses, including Sue Lyon, Jill St. John, Gena Rowlands, and Raquel Welch, provides an alluring backdrop for the series.
In terms of plot and character development, the Tony Rome series is solid, with engrossing writing and well-paced stories. The main character follows leads, takes beatings, and solves cases with an air of effortless sophistication. One of the author's greatest strengths is his ability to immerse readers in the sultry, soupy South Florida atmosphere, filling the pages with excitement and intrigue.
The adventures of Tony Rome ultimately led me back to the Fontainebleau Hotel, but this time with a deeper understanding of the character. Sinatra took the role seriously, as Tony Rome was a Miami police officer before his downfall due to a corruptible bribe scandal. After his father, a captain in the police force, took his own life after a scandal, Tony Rome was left with financialresponsibilities for his family and turned to private investigation to make ends meet.
Sinatra's portrayal of Tony Rome mirrored his own life, as he was approaching middle age when the films were made. The late 60s marked the end of Sinatra's reign as a cultural icon, overshadowed by the Beatles, the British Invasion, and the civil rights movement. Nonetheless, Sinatra's acting career continued, with the Tony Rome films offering a glimpse into a more melancholic side of the legendary performer.
Perhaps the reason Sinatra felt comfortable in a three-piece suit and fedora on the beach is due to the essential connection between the character and his portrayer's life experiences. Even amidst the dangers and complications of his career as a private investigator, there is a sense of resignation in Tony Rome's character, a weary acceptance that comes with age and wisdom. As for the women, Tony Rome prefers a more relaxed approach, focusing on resolving cases rather than pursuing romantic entanglements, making him a truly unique and compelling character.
The Tony Rome series, set in Miami, offers an enticing blend of 'Sunshine Noir' storytelling and fashionable settings, similar to the environment Sinatra found himself in during his Timex event at the Fontainebleau Hotel. As I delved deeper into the world of entertainment, I discovered that celebrities, like Sinatra, often seek a harmonious blend of style and comfort in their lifestyle, whether it's travel, movies, or lounging on a beach, just as I initially pondered at Thanksgiving.
