The landmark adult film Deep Throat (1972) was notable for a host of reasons; it was one of the first pornographic films to feature a plot, character development and relatively high production values, it launched the ‘porno chic’ trend, and it was banned in some jurisdictions and the subject of high profile obscenity trials.
It was also a rarity in that it was a New York film that was shot in Florida. This meant the filmmakers had to rely on local contacts to set up the locations in advance. Their faith in the Florida advisers proved to be ill-founded – and the initial locations all fell through as soon as shooting was about to start.
Needing to some up with alternative venues quickly, the crew was deployed to find places around the Miami area to use for scenes in the film.
Fortunately they came up with a memorable series of locations that play an important part in making the film unique.
This week, continuing our mission to find the original locations of golden age adult films, April Hall visits South Florida in search of Deep Throat – and arrives just before one of the most iconic spots disappears forever.
With thanks to Len Camp, Joao Fernandes, and Sepy Dobronyi for their memories, and special thanks to Hank Wellman for his sterling detective work.
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Getting to Miami to shoot Deep Throat:
From ‘Getting Deeper’ (1977) by Gerard Damiano (unpublished biography, excerpted in High Society magazine):
Some guys I knew came back from Florida after making a film there. It was freezing in New York, and they kept talking about palm trees and wide stretches of beach and sunlight. They said Florida was a perfect place to film, and that if I wanted to go there they’d put me in touch with people who could help me. I hadn’t taken a vacation in four years. I was freezing my balls off in New York. I decided to film ‘Deep Throat’ in Florida.
From ‘Here’s Harry Reems!‘ (1975) by Harry Reems:
On January 11th, 1972, I left for Florida. And Deep Throat. It was the first porno film to be shot on location at any long-range distance by on-going producers.
From Rialto Report interview with Len Camp (Deep Throat location scout) (2006):
I booked rooms for everyone at the Voyager Congress Inn because I knew the owner. I told the manager to expect many people – but the producers were cheap sons of bitches and they made everyone share rooms to lower the cost.
From ‘Getting Deeper’ (1977) by Gerard Damiano:
I flew down to Florida to look things over. The palm trees freaked me out. They were fucking everywhere. I sat by the pool at the Voyager Motel and felt relaxed for the first time in years. My friends had assured me that everything would be perfect in Florida.
From ‘Here’s Harry Reems!’ (1975) by Harry Reems:
I drove the blue and white Cadillac you see in the movie – I drove it from New York to Miami. I’ll always think of it as the pimpmobile.
From ‘Getting Deeper’ (1977) by Gerard Damiano:
My production crew drove down in a van. Chuck (Traynor) and Linda (Lovelace) flew down. I flew in Dolly Sharp, but she’d only come if she could bring her old man. I wrote the Wilbur Wang part for him.
Day 1:
From ‘Ordeal’ (1980) by Linda Lovelace:
When the cast and crew arrived from New York several days later, we all made our headquarters at the Voyager Inn on Biscayne Boulevard.
Voyager-Congress Inn, Miami (c. 1960)
From ‘Getting Into Deep Throat’ (1973) by Richard Smith:
Gerard Damiano remembers, “I went to see all the locations that a friend of mine had set up. I had said I need a swimming pool, I need a house, I need an apartment. He had a co-op apartment – beautiful, beautiful place. I fell in love with it; we were going to shoot 90% of our film there.
At nine o’clock in the morning we showed up at the pool, unloaded the equipment, and a little Jewish man came running out and said “What are you doing here?”
I said, “We’re shooting a film” and he said, “Who says?”
I said, “Well my friend spoke to the person who owns this place who said we could use it,” and he said, “I own this place.”
All our locations were at this place. Everything. Out of the window.
I called the motel we were staying at and asked if we could shoot at his swimming pool. At that particular time we were the only ones there, and he couldn’t do enough for us.
Voyager-Congress Inn, Miami (c. 1960)
Day 2:
Voyager Inn, Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL
Shooting the pool scene, and externals of Linda Lovelace arriving at an office for an appointment
From ‘Getting Deeper’ (1977) by Gerard Damiano:
Gerard Damiano remembers, “We began with the pool sequence – with Linda Lovelace and Dolly Sharp, where Linda confesses that she’s never felt firecrackers exploding when she made love. It was terrific.”
Dolly Sharp in the swimming pool at the Voyager Inn, Miami
Linda Lovelace and Dolly Sharp by the swimming pool at the Voyager Inn, Miami
Linda Lovelace and Dolly Sharp by the swimming pool at the Voyager Inn, Miami
The site of the former Voyager Inn in 2015: now the Johnson & Wales University, S.E.E. & Golf Management Center
The swimming pool featured in ‘Deep Throat’ – still in use in 2015
The swimming pool featured in ‘Deep Throat’ – still in use in 2015
From ‘Ordeal’ (1980) by Linda Lovelace:
We laughed a lot that first day of shooting while we were doing the poolside shots, the walking-down-the-street shots and the knocking-on-the-door shots.
Linda Lovelace drives past the Golden Buddha Chinese Restaurant…
… and the site of the former Golden Buddha restaurant in 2015: now a branch of BankUnited
Linda Lovelace makes an office call near the Golden Buddha restaurant…
… and The Rialto Report’s April Hall re-visits the steps of Linda Lovelace (2015)
Days 3 – 5:
Private home, Seven Isles, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Shooting the kitchen scene, the orgy scene, the Wilbur scene, and externals over a bridge
From Rialto Report interview with Len Camp (Deep Throat location scout) (2006):
When Gerry’s original location fell through, he needed to find a nice quiet house to film in. I had a friend in Fort Lauderdale who had a good place so I called him up and arranged a deal. Everyone was living at the Voyager Inn, but they traveled up to Fort Lauderdale for three days to film some scenes.
From ‘Here’s Harry Reems!’ (1975) by Harry Reems:
The opening scenes were shot at Handsome Harry’s place. Handsome Harry lived in Fort Lauderdale. He was a bachelor, maybe 28 or 29 years old, a nice gent who lived solo in his ranch-style house with a swimming pool. Most of his waking thoughts turned lightly to love in any season… and swings and orgies. Our crew – and our project – could not have been more welcome.
Handsome Harry never could figure out why after a long hard day in front of the cameras we weren’t all chomping at the bit to swing into a wild orgy.
From ‘Inside Linda Lovelace’ (1973) by Linda Lovelace:
We shot at a nice home in Fort Lauderdale. The Lauderdale place belonged to a young guy whose only interest was getting into chicks, right? He tried every device to make us. He brought cute chicks, handsome guys, and before we finished that two-day shooting schedule, he was practically begging us to stay on after our day’s work. We didn’t and left him practically in tears.
From ‘Here’s Harry Reems!’ (1975) by Harry Reems:
“Jesus Christ,” he said, “what a bunch of dead dicks you all turned out to be!”
Linda Lovelace drives Gerry Damiano’s car over the bridge…
… and the ‘Deep Throat’ bridge in Fort Lauderdale in 2015.
Linda Lovelace drives Gerry Damiano’s car over the bridge…
… and the ‘Deep Throat’ bridge in Fort Lauderdale in 2015.
Linda Lovelace turns into the driveway of ‘Handsome Harry’s’ house…
… which is now a lawn, though the same dip in the sidewalk remains (2015).
Linda Lovelace parks in the driveway…
… which has been remodeled since ‘Deep Throat’ but it is still recognizable.
The men arrive for the orgy…
… the house has been given a second level since ‘Deep Throat’.
The former owner of ‘Handsome Harry’s’ Fort Lauderdale house re-named the new driveway…
… paying tribute to the film’s star.
Dolly Sharp and Linda Lovelace walk over the bridge…
… and The Rialto Report’s April Hall follows in their steps (2015).
Dolly Sharp and Linda Lovelace walk over the bridge past the electricity pole…
… and The Rialto Report’s April Hall walks past the same electricity pole.
The kitchen scene – shot at the Fort Lauderdale house.
Day 6:
Rest day, scouting for remaining locations
Days 7 – 9:
3980 Wood Ave, Coconut Grove, Miami, FL
Shooting two scenes set in the Doctor’s office – one with Linda Lovelace and one with Carol Connors, as well as the wine cellar scene, and several exterior shots in the garden
From ‘Getting Deeper’ (1977) by Gerard Damiano:
One day we happened to meet a real-life Prince, Sepy Dobronyi, who was excited about the film we were making, so he suggested that we could use his house for some interior shots we needed. “I’ve got this great place,” he told us, “and some good dope, so we’ll party and we’ll smoke and we’ll all have a great time.”
From Baron Joseph Dobronyi’s biography:
Baron Joseph “Sepy” De Bicske Dobronyi (April 20, 1922 – May 29, 2010) was a Hungarian-born sculptor and royal crown jeweler, aristocrat, art collector, world traveler, movie maker, pilot, wine collector, sportsman, playboy, and bon vivant.
His name was familiar in international society and movie circles as well as the art crowd.
Baron Sepy was world renowned for his bronze and gold sculptures of famous celebrities such as the controversial 42″inch tall Golden Statue of movie star Anita Ekberg, who posed for him and gained recognition worldwide.
Sepy pictorial by pin-up photographer Bunny Yeager (1960)
Sepy in a magazine article about him (1961)
Sepy at work in his studio (late 1960s)
Sepy and his statue of Anita Ekberg (late 1960s)
Known as the Hugh Hefner of Miami, Sepy counted talents such as Frank Sinatra, Bjorn Borg and George Hamilton as his friends, regularly hosting them at his home. Throwing legendary parties out of his Coconut Grove home, Sepy became known as much for his range of friends as for his seduction skills.
The home was designed by Otto F. Seeler, who was a professor of architecture at the University of Notre Dame, and because Sepy’s star sign was Taurus, the roof is in the shape of a bull’s head complete with two copper horns extended over the roof.
Sadly the property was put up for sale in 2012 and sold in 2013. The new owners have started to demolish it. The pictures that follow, that were taken in 2015, may be the last of this legendary house.
Sepy’s house, as seen in the real estate listing when it was being sold (2012)…
… and in 2015 when we found it to be derelict and waiting to be demolished.
The entrance to Sepy’s house in 2012…
… and soon to be razed to the ground (2015).
Sepy’s main lounge (2012)…
… with the furnace dominating the room (2012)…
… and in 2015…
… a shell of its former self.
From ‘Here’s Harry Reems!’ (1975) by Harry Reems:
We went to Coconut Grove for the final days of shooting to the beautiful estate of a baron who was strapped for cash and rented out the place for moviemaking. For ‘Deep Throat’ we turned his guest house into a Doctor’s office.
I kept getting hornier and hornier. I was glad I was going to play the doctor.
Linda Lovelace and Harry Reems in the Doctor’s office…
… with the white panel wall behind them
… and as seen in the real estate listing when the house was being sold (2012)
The Doctor’s office scene was shot in a now-abandoned guest house on the grounds of Sepy’s property (seen here in 2015)…
…where the same white panel wall still exists.
Another view of the inside of the Doctor’s office (2015).
External of the guest house – the location for the doctor’s office (2015).
From ‘The Dream Studio of Sepy Dobronyi’, The Miami Herald, (1963):
Dobronyi traveled to 89 countries. When he arrived in Miami, he brought trophies of his travels. These included an impressive array of native primitive sculpture, dozens of artifacts from the Near and Far East. Ancient arms and armor displayed on the walls of his home/studio, along with animal skins.
From ‘Getting Deeper’ (1977) by Gerard Damiano:
His house was incredible. It was filled with larger-than-life statues of all these naked women. They were everywhere – in the foyer, by the pool, in the kitchen, in the bathroom. It wasn’t hard to know where his head was at.
From Rialto Report interview with Len Camp (Deep Throat location scout) (2006):
Sepy made sure he put as much of his own artwork in the shots of the movie – so wherever you look you see some African shit or some of his old paintings.
Harry Reems diagnoses Linda’s affliction, whilst Sepy’s self portrait looks on…
… a self portrait that now resides in East London, owned by Mark Cox who runs the site www.lindalovelace.org
Sepy was particularly proud of two metal wall hangings…
… which appear in two scenes of ‘Deep Throat’.
eBay listing (2011):
For Sale: $1,999
A fine hand hammered metal (brass or copper?) wall hanging sculpture “Krampus-like mythical faces” from the private collection of the estate of the famous “aristocrat, sculptor, photographer, royal jewelry designer, art collector, world traveler, sportsman and bon vivant” Baron Joseph “Sepy” de Bicske Dobronyi.
The original wall hanging featured on in ‘Deep Throat’ – sold on eBay in 2011
From ‘Inside Linda Lovelace’ (1973) by Linda Lovelace:
We shot in a mansion in Miami. We were hosted by a fantastic human named Sepy Dobronyi, and his place is a shrine to sex. The man is a winner. I’m not sure what his business interests include, but he does live well. I don’t know his age either, but it doesn’t matter. He is handsome, well-groomed, well-muscled, and – I discovered to my delight – very well hung.
He was following me around, sneaking peaks under my skirts, anything to get a better view. I had every intention of rewarding him for his attention and hospitality, but I waited until the right time to surprise him.
It was an off day for shooting, and I was one of the luncheon guests. After the feast, he took me on a personal tour of his mansion. We reached the sleeping wing, and he very subtly directed me to his unique bedroom. Want to know what he sleeps in? Well, it’s an authentic Viking ship converted into a bed. Now this is class, right?
eBay listing (2011):
For Sale: $7,500
Up for auction is this circa 1960 previously owned front half of an exact replica of a Sea Serpent Viking ship bed made in Oslo, Norway, from the 800-1000 A.D., designed by Famous Sculptor Baron Joseph “Sepy” de Bicske Dobronyi. This is a fully functional bed with storage compartments under the mattress. The full size mattress is custom made but previously used and might need to be replaced or cleaned. The bed is made of solid wood planks with the prow having the form of a sea serpent’s head with horns and glowing eyes and the fangs are from a Hippopotamus.
Sepy’s Viking Ship bed (early 1960s)…
… and as seen in the real estate listing when his house was being sold (2012)
From ‘Inside Linda Lovelace’ (1973) by Linda Lovelace:
We shot from dawn to midnight at Sepy’s mansion, and Sepy didn’t care for this. No matter what Damiano had in mind, Sepy had a mind of his own. When he had had enough of the movie-making nonsense, he didn’t scold or even hint. All he did when he wanted to call it a day was cut the master electrical switch, plunging everything and everybody into total darkness. I rather admired that.
Linda Lovelace in the grounds of Sepy’s house…
… making a house call dressed as a nurse…
… in 2015, the gardens are untended and overgrown.
From ‘Here’s Harry Reems!’ (1975) by Harry Reems:
There was a nutsy scene where Linda visits a guy who lives in the Baron’s wine cellar. The guy has a real obsession with Coca Cola.
From Rialto Report interview with Joao Fernandes (‘Deep Throat’ cinematographer) (2015):
I was surprised that Sepy let us into the cellar with all the expensive bottles of wine. I asked him why he trusted us. He just said that he had added a few bottles of poison amongst the expensive wine so he would know immediately if anyone stole his wine.
From ‘Here’s Harry Reems!’ (1975) by Harry Reems:
Gerry had someone make a glass dildo for ‘Deep Throat’. The guy who made it guaranteed it wouldn’t break. The script called for the guy to put the glass dildo into Linda and suck his favorite beverage out of it.
From Esquire (1973) article by Nora Ephron:
All I could think about was what would happen if the glass broke.
From ‘Here’s Harry Reems!’ (1975) by Harry Reems:
When the scene was over, everybody was happy and laughing. Laughing made Linda contract the muscles of her vagina. The dildo came flying out of her. It landed on the floor and shattered into a million splinters of glass. So much for the guarantee of glass dildoes. Ralph Nader, are you listening?
Linda Lovelace descends into the wine cellar…
… where she strips for Bob Phillips.
The wine cellar as seen in the real estate listing in 2012; it has since been demolished.
From ‘Getting Into Deep Throat’ (1973) by Richard Smith:
“Now that’s a pervert!” Damiano grins, recalling the owner of the mansion. “Sepy was there, watching, carrying on, trying to make out with everybody in sight. He’d had a lot of stuff shot there, and he figured that if he just played his cards right, at the end there would be a big party and everyone would carry on. But unfortunately on my set we don’t do that, so he was pretty disappointed.”
Sepy in the pool at his house (late 1960s)…
… and the same pool in 2015.
The entrance to Sepy’s former studio in 2015.
Day 10 – 12:
Collins Ave and Pine Tree Drive, Miami Beach, FL
Shooting Linda Lovelace driving Gerard Damiano’s Cadillac for the opening credit sequence
From ‘Getting Into Deep Throat’ (1973) by Richard Smith:
After completing all the interiors for Deep Throat, Damiano had to wait a few days to get his outdoor shots thanks to a very un-Florida like stretch of rain.
From ‘Getting Deeper’ (1977) by Gerard Damiano:
It started to rain. It never rains in Florida, but it’s raining now. I had a scene where I have Linda driving into Florida. The wipers are going in the car. It turned out to be a great opening sequence, even when the sun came out and I had to keep the wipers going to maintain continuity in the film.
From Rialto Report interview with Len Camp (Deep Throat location scout) (2006):
They didn’t know where to go to shoot the driving scenes so I sent them out to Collins Ave, and they spent the whole day shooting Linda driving up and down. They were crazy to spend so much time doing that. What did they think this was…? ‘Gone With The Wind’?
The route taken by Linda Lovelace in the Deep Throat title sequence – the car traveled south down Collins Ave and north up Pine Tree Drive.
The square arches at the bottom of one of the apartment buildings on Collins Ave…
… are still there in 2015.
The building with the round edge seen in the title card…
… is still there in 2015.
Many buildings on Collins Ave have been built in the last 40 years…
… but a surprising number can still be recognized.
Along the waterway, on the other side of Collins Ave…
… a few buildings can still be recognized – such as these archways.
Driving up Pine Tree Drive…
… several of the houses are still recognizable.
This gated house…
…has not changed significantly in 45 years.
The driveway to this house…
… remains similar.
Linda Lovelace is introduced to the world…
… and introducing April Hall as herself.
*
From ‘Inside Linda Lovelace’ (1973) by Linda Lovelace:
As far as the filming schedule went, all was on time, and the movie came in on the anticipated date of January 31, 1972.
From ‘Getting Deeper’ (1977) by Gerard Damiano:
We filmed for a week, and it was beautiful. It had been funny, it was exciting, and it was bright.
*
I always enjoy the looks back at these places! Thank you!!
Glorious, glorious feature. You treat each subject with so much love and affection it is amazing. The industry should be happy to have you as its premier documentarians. Great, great job!
I was just in Ft. Lauderdale a couple weeks ago. The house at Aqua Vista and NE 26th Terrace is gone. The bridge on NE 26th Terrace is still pretty much the same, and the dip in the sidewalk where the driveway used to be is still there.
Super job April!!!!!
The only missing location is the second doctor’s office scene; the rumor is that this scene was the original loop shot by Damiano back in New York BEFORE the Deep Throat trip to Florida.
As you are the experts, what is your opinion on this?
Wow, wow, wow! Love this series but never ever thought you’d manage to find so many of the locations still intact. Incredible.
I look forward to each Sunday to get my Rialto fix, and you never ever disappoint.
I’ve swum in that swimming pool! Everyone in the halls there knows that Deep Throat was shot there. The admin staff tell people when they show people around.
Thanks for the history. Great job with all the pictures!
What a shame they are demolishing that home. They showed it intact in the documentary Inside Deep Throat that was released in 2005. I wonder if Damiano’s Cadillac she was driving is still around?
This is work done on a Pulitzer Prize level. It looks like April has
fun at the same time. Super nice work Ms. Hall
Thank you JB!
Sepy reminds me of Doug Stanhope.
Another stellar example of your historical story telling documentary. Would love to re visit other big important films in the same fashion as you did this one Ashley, Thanks for keeping the flame alive,
Radio Ray
Great research! I would love to see the filming locations of the 1979 film Easy. Where was Jesie St Jams jogging? It seemed like all over San Francisco?
Welcome home!
I’m used to The Rialto Report having moving articles and podcasts about people………. but I found this a moving article about a house! Congratulations!
Seriously – the fact that Sepy’s home is being torn down is rather sad considering its history. Thank you for recording its last days.
Thanks again for a location post. I love – love – LOVE these. Seeing that the images in sexual fantasies actually occurred in the “real” world. Keep up the good work.
This iconic film was first released on my birthday in ’72, destining my fate. If only every man had his own Linda Lovelace…before, during and after porn.
What a fascinating and in-depth recounting of our very first feature in the Adult Film Industry. At the time it was being made, I was doing Theater Shows in Boca Raton, Fl. Damn, I missed out. So close, yet so far. But, when I returned to N.Y., I realized what I had missed when I saw the crowds gathering at the opening. I realized then, that our country was in for a Big Change. Great Job, April. Hopefully, we will meet again soon. Hi to Ashley, also.
–Eric Edwards
Thanks for the memory Eric – we hope to meet you again soon too!
Those title sequence photos of all the buildings on Colins Ave and the water way are all spot on to the film. Seems like that would be a needle in a haystack trying to find. Good stuff.
What a fantastic story. Would love to see some of these places myself.
I remember going to Miami Beach and saw my brother at the Miami Boat Show. He took me on a tour of some of the places where “Scarface” was filmed.
Unbelievable! I LOVE THIS !!!
I saw Deep Throat once in the 70’s and I only recall the rooms & situations so it was a real treat to see that there was so much more as far as locations. A grand pleasure to see what has occurred thru out the years. What would’ve been perfect is seeing April in a 70’s Cadillac ! One day I hope you get a chance to interview that elusive member of that group, Carol Connors. She probably couldn’t volunteer any new information on what has been well chronicle but I am sure she has a interesting life.
I moved to Miami to attend film school in 1976. Coincidentally, the first movie I saw in my adopted hometown was Deep Throat — at the Pussycat Theater on Biscayne Blvd, about a mile north of the Voyager Inn. By ’76 the movie had become something of a cultural phenomenon, and the theater was packed on a nightly basis. If I remember correctly, admission was $5, which was a king’s ransom for a broke college student back then.
I would remain in Miami/Ft Lauderdale for 27 glorious years, and enjoyed my share of experiences that could have been culled from one of Damiano’s films. Sadly, it wasn’t until shortly before I moved away that I learned that so much of Deep Throat had been shot there.
For most of those years I lived in Coral Gables (which borders Coconut Grove) and occasionally heard whispers that some scenes from Deep Throat had been filmed nearby. I often often drove past the mansion of Baron Sepy Dobronyi without realizing its illustrious history.
Towards the end of my stay in South Florida, I rented an apartment on Hendricks Isle in Fort Lauderdale — literally a mango’s throw across a canal from “Handsome Harry’s” place. Not until I read this well-researched article did I realize that I had been living one finger island down from where the orgy scene was shot; had I known I would have definitely paid my respects and made it a part of every guided tour that I gave to my visiting snowbird friends.
Thank you for consolidating all of this information into one awesome article. What a pleasurable walk down memory lane. I have always considered Deep Throat a quintessential 1970s Miami film, as true to the vibe of that era as Scarface was to the Cocaine Cowboys decade that followed. Well done!
Awesome story Tony! Ironic seeing “Deep Throat” in a theater right down the road from where the pool scene was filmed!
Not sure if this was already mentioned by the Rialto Staff – but Sepy Dobronyi’s house at 3980 Wood Ave, Coconut Grove, Miami was also in the Frank Sinatra Tony Rome private eye film “Lady in Cement” (1968). The house was used in the scenes where Tony visits Arnie Sherwin’s house:
http://www.floridamovielocations2.org/page21.html