MovieChat Forums > Ruby in Paradise (1993) Discussion > Some interesting facts about this movie....

Some interesting facts about this movie....

posted 18 years ago by sndjentinc
11 replies | jump to latest

I grew up in Panama City, Florida and was in 10th grade when this movie was filmed. I thought I would give you some insight of some of the filming locations and other things.

1. The scenes where Ruby is stealing CD's, clothes, etc was flimed at the Panama City Mall. While they were filming, I was there and they had a section of the mall blocked off.

2. Chambers Beach Imporium was actually a fictitious name for the store, although at the time it was a store similar to what it is portrayed in the movie. Years later, it became a nightclub and then later a bookstore. Today, it is now the home of the new "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" museum, The original buliding is still there, however, they have added a section to the front of the building and it is now a replica of the "Titanic". If you are ever in Panama City Beach, this building is located at the intersection of Front Beach Road and Middle Beach Road, directly across from Wal-Mart.

3. The amusement park you see in the film was Miracle Strip Amusement Park. It closed for good in 2004 to make way for condo's, and is still under development. In fact, condo's are booming all over Panama City Beach.

4. The pier you see (where Ashley and Mike have a talk) was the old county pier, which was destroyed in 1995 by Hurricane Opal. It has since been rebuilt and is located directly across the street from the old Miracle Strip Amusement Park.

5. When Rochelle and Ruby are on the beach toward the beginning of the movie, you see a tower behind them that looks like a space needle. This was the old Miracle Strip tower (located near the county pier and across from the amusement park). This tower was originally an observation tower and eventually housed one of Panama City's most famous radio stations, WPFM. Unfortunately, this tower received quite a bit of damage during Hurricane Opal in 1995 and was torn down. Today, a hotel sits where the tower once stood.

6. Club LaVela (where they spend spring break and you see the bikini contests) is still there and still as popular as ever. However, a couple years ago a deal was made and the property had been sold. LaVela was scheduled to shut down, but the deal fell through and they are still open. If you ever make it to PCB for spring break, check it out.

7. The movie theater where Mike and Ruby go to the movies was Regency 6 (now Regency 12) on 23rd street in Panama City. At the time of filming, my sister worked at this theater and even had a chance to be an extra in the movie (you can see her boss and co-workers in the background at the snack bar). She said they filmed this scene during the morning before the theater opened, and they even put back the cups and popcorn tubs used in the film, and they were used that night when the theater opened. Also, when Mike and Ruby take off on the motorcycle, they make you think the theater is near a Wal-Mart. Actually, that Wal-Mart you see as they are driving off was located on Panama City Beach, probably 4 or 5 miles from the theater. Today, that Wal-Mart is now Wayne's RV World. It closed down in 1995 and relocated to the super Wal-Mart further down the beach near the Ripley's museum.

8. Osceola Gardens (where Mike works) is the actual name of the nursery in Panama City Beach, and it is still in operation today.

9. The "Welcome to Florida" sign seen at the start and end of the movie was at the Florida Welcome Center on Highway 231 south, coming into Florida just south of Dothan, Alabama. In the movie, highway 231 was two laned. However, it is four lanes all the way now.

10. The bridge you see Mike and Ruby drive over is the old Hathaway Bridge, which links Panama City and Panama City Beach. It has since been torn down and a new, higher, bridge has been built in it's place.

11. The strip club Ruby visits was called "Show and Tail". Sadly, this club burned down in February of this year and has not been rebuilt. However, the remains of the old building are still there and the city of Panama City Beach has told the owner he needs to clean it up. Last I heard the owner plans to rebuild in another location.

12. The laundromat Ruby works at is Domestic Cleaners, located in downtown Panama City on Grace Avenue.

13. The TV channel Ruby watches is actually a real TV station in Panama City. WJHG TV 7 is the NBC affiliate, and the lady you see doing the weather was actually Sharon Lewis (her real name). At the time, she was a reporter for the staion and even came to my school and spoke to my TV production class. I'm not sure where she is now, but she left the station shortly after this movie was released.

14. The diner where Ruby helps the people with directions was Coram's Steak & Egg (now just Coram's) on Thomas Drive in Panama City Beach.

I hope this helps for any of you who were wondering about the filming locations of this movie.

[–] elcroquis22 18 years ago

Very interesting post, sndjentinc. Your information sounds very thought out and well informed.

As someone that grew up in Florida, I can attest that the way Florida is portrayed is very accurate to the way I remember it. It is not the flashy and glitzy place that you see in movies. But rather somewhat bittersweet and melancholy. I grew up in Plantation, FL in Broward County.

[–] charmomd 18 years ago

Hello,
That was great description of the area the movie was made in...I love that movie!!!! I am wondering if you know the area that Ruby rented..and how far from the gulf it is.
Those cottages seem so quaint to me...or was that just fantasy? I could easily live in one of those if it is walking distance to the beach!!!!
Any help you have would be great...thanks so much!!!
Charlotte ie: [email protected]

[–] sndjentinc 18 years ago

I'm really not sure exactly where Ruby's house was, but the area looks like the extreme west end of Panama City Beach (between PCB and Sunnyside) along Alternate Highway 98 (Front Beach Road). I've seen a lot of houses in that area that look similar, and if it was in fact filmed in that area, then her house would be on the north side of Alt 98 (roughly a block from the Gulf). Also, that's assuming the neighborhood hasn't been bulldozed to make room for condos. Uggh!

I did notice Ripley's Believe It Or Not (which was Chambers Beach Emporium) now has a website, and you can see the building used. It looks different now because they have added the "ship" where the parking lot was, but if you look directly behind the ship you can see the building used. They have just added the ship as part of the building sticking out the front. Also, they have many photos on their website (including the gift shop which was Mrs. Chambers' store). Here is the link. Check it out!

http://www.ripleyspanamacitybeach.com

There is a picture of the ship (and the building behind it) on the first page, but you get redirected to the home page. You can find a few more pictures of the building there. When I first heard Ripley's was going to build there, I thought they were going to tear down the building, but they just added on to it. I'm glad that piece of movie history is there (even though it looks different).

[–] Slim_Pickens_bastard_son 16 years ago

I had exactly the same melancholic feeling when I saw the cottages where Ruby lived. I too could spend a winter and an autumn living cozily in one of them.

[–] swt_jne 18 years ago

Thank you sndjentinc for your informative post! I was helping a friend here in Hawaii who was asking about what it was like in Panama City/Beach as she's about to take a traveling nursing job there. I mentioned this movie, Ruby, as i remember really liking it and was just in awe of the natural beauty of Panama Beach. Your beaches give us some fierce competition ;)!

[–] jbracht 18 years ago

Yes, thanks again for that information. I am going down to Panama City in May for business and I can't wait to try to see some of the things that "Ruby" saw. It sounds silly, I know but never-the-less, I'm excited to check it out.

[–] brancie23 17 years ago

Great post! I am also from PC and still live here today. I hate what they have done with the beach, so I rarely go out there anymore. I enjoyed reading your post and remembering how it use to be. The only error I noted was the old Wal-Mart being Boaters World. I don't believe there has ever been a Boaters World on the beach. I believe what you meant was Waynes World RV Supercenter. Also, the only thing you didn't mention was the West Bay area which also made several appearances in the movie, as well as the new West Bay bridge that was being constructed at the time.

[–] filmprincess 17 years ago

Thanks so much. I truly enjoyed reading your post. :)

I originally saw this movie while in Chicago, and was lucky enough to see it in the theater when it was first released. I've always adored it, and wish they would release it on DVD. And in my opinion, it ranks up there as one of Ashley Judd's best performances. I was actually kind of dissapointed when she started doing all those thriller type movies, espeically after seeing this film. It's just such a rare gem! Anyway, thanks again for the trivia. Super cool! :):):) fp

"Save me, Sabrina fair. You're the only one who can."

[–] foulsociety-1 15 years ago

The place they were eating near the end of the movie looked like Allen's. It may have been Hamilton's. I don't know about Allen's but Hamilton's was blown away in a hurricane recently. I hate that because I loved it. It was way better than that tourist trap Capt. Anderson's.

[–] flymonkeys3 15 years ago

Thats a cool account of the area as it was then. I was an extra in the movie. the scene was at the Beach bar Sharkys. That whole place now is different. I miss the way it use to be. Actually when the summer was over at labor day, that town turned into a ghost town. I moved there in 1991 and in the dead of winter you could lay down in the middle of front beach rd and be safe from any passing cars, there were none. One bright spot of change is the new Pier Park. Plenty of restaurants, shopping, and live music, and a great new pier to walk on. It has really become the focal point of the beach. Now if some one would just get smart and put an amusement park right beside it.

[–] Jerry-137 14 years ago

Great description of what once was. Unfortunately, they seem to have copied South Florida and turned it into a condo jungle tearing down the old family owned motels that were quaint but the friendliest people in town.

I immigrated to this area in 1974 from Miami (brought the flag with me) and have never regretted it. Part of the real South and part of everywhere nowadays. I still remember a self-owned car shop mechanic who said when I was leaving, "Y'all come back, ya' hear!" I looked around to see who was with me that I didn't know about. Then, my daughter in the first grade came home one day and said she found out where we lived because the kids were saying we lived, "down yonder". Those were the days.

Panama City Beach is big-time now, with a new international airport, visits by the President and his wife, and condo time-shares all over the beach. Even Tiger Woods picked it for a quickie divorce from his wife Elia. I guess cause he could sneak in early one morning by flying into the new airport in his private jet which is out in the boondocks and slip back out unnoticed.

Still it is "The World's Most Beautiful Beach" with sugar white sand and clear water like the Bahamas. It is so white it looks like snow in photographs.

Y'all come visit with us sometime!

******************************
My favorite: "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb"