Misplaced Pages

#351648

118-664: Don Wayne Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series Miami Vice , for which he won a Golden Globe , and received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. He also played the titular character in the 1990s series Nash Bridges . Johnson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1996. Johnson has appeared in films such as A Boy and His Dog (1975), Tin Cup (1996), Machete (2010), Django Unchained (2012) and Knives Out (2019). As

236-572: A Nash Bridges television film with co-star Cheech Marin on the USA Network in 2021. In April 2024, it was revealed that Johnson would be starring in the Ryan Murphy drama television series, Doctor Odyssey , which premiered on ABC and Hulu on September 26, 2024. Johnson released two albums of pop music in the 1980s. Heartbeat was released in 1986. Let it Roll was released in 1989. His single " Heartbeat " reached No. 5 on

354-901: A Vietnam War veteran were transferred onto the character Bobby Bridges on Don Johnson 's other cop show Nash Bridges . In the TV comedy series 30 Rock , Kenneth Parcell has a pet parakeet called Sonny Crockett, but the fact he had owned it for 60 years suggests it was not named for the character. Miami Vice Miami Vice is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC . The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs , two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami . The series ran for five seasons on NBC from September 16, 1984 to June 28, 1989. USA Network began airing reruns in 1988 and broadcast

472-476: A "shockingly realistic prison rape" scene portrayed by Johnson. This exposure led to the quickly forgotten film The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart (1970). Johnson continued to work on stage, film and television without breaking into stardom. His notable films from this period were Zachariah (1971), The Harrad Experiment (1973) (a film in which Johnson displayed frontal nudity), Lollipop and Roses (1974) and A Boy and His Dog (1975). In 1976, Johnson

590-579: A 1971 Mercury Cougar XR-7 convertible . When Stan and Larry were undercover, they drove a Dodge Ram Van . Other notable vehicles that appear in Miami Vice include Lamborghinis , AMG Mercedes-Benzes , BMWs , Maseratis , Lotuses , DeLoreans , Porsches , and Corvettes . American muscle cars , such as the Pontiac GTO and Firebird Trans Am , Ford Mustang , Chevrolet Camaro , Plymouth GTX and Barracuda , Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS , and

708-446: A Drama Series in 1985. Between seasons on Miami Vice , Johnson gained further renown through the TV miniseries The Long Hot Summer (1985), a remake of the 1958 film . During the time he was on Miami Vice , he had set up an hour-long music video/pay cable program with videocassette versions of the programs Johnson had hosted being handled by distributor CBS/Fox Video . The project was a tie-in to his first album Heartbeat , which

826-475: A beard like Don Johnson's character. It was initially named the "Miami Device" by Wahl , but in the end the company opted to avoid a trademark infringement lawsuit. Many of the styles popularized by the TV show, such as the T-shirt under pastel suits, no socks, rolled up sleeves, and Ray-Ban sunglasses, have become the standard image of 1980s culture. The influence of Miami Vice ' s fashions continued into

944-480: A black 1972 Ferrari Daytona Spyder 365 GTS/4 kit replica built on a Chevrolet Corvette C3 chassis. The car was fitted with Ferrari-shaped body panels by specialty car manufacturer McBurnie Coachcraft . Once the car gained notoriety, Ferrari Automobili filed suit demanding that McBurnie and any others cease and desist producing and selling Ferrari replicas and infringing upon the Ferrari name and styling. As

1062-559: A cover story entitled, "Dallas Drubs the Cops: Why Miami Vice Seems to be Slipping." Miami Vice ' s season ratings slipped from #9 in Season 2 down to #27 by the end of Season 3. Before leaving the series to work on his new television series, Crime Story , Michael Mann handed the role of executive producer to future Law & Order creator Dick Wolf prior to the third season (1986–1987). Wolf had

1180-405: A criminal played by actor Dennis Burkley on Hill Street Blues in 1983, where creator Anthony Yerkovich was a writer. Coincidentally, Gregory Sierra who later played Crockett's original supervisor (before Edward James Olmos was cast) appeared in the same episodes. For the 2006 film adaptation of Miami Vice , James "Sonny" Crockett was completely reinvented and thus had no relation to

1298-526: A dedicated undercover officer who is loyal to his team. In describing his portrayal of the character, actor Colin Farrell stated, "If I was to think about the early Crockett, I would have been in trouble because I would have been arguing over the suits that I wanted to wear and no socks with my slip-ons, and all that kind of stuff". Farrell ultimately did not look to Don Johnson's portrayal for much inspiration. However, Farrell did admit in later interviews that

SECTION 10

#1732779725352

1416-496: A diverse selection of contemporary, mostly "upbeat" chart music and classic rock and pop, the third season's music lineup became much more somber, with songs like " In Dulce Decorum " by The Damned , " Lives in the Balance " by Jackson Browne , "Mercy" by Steve Jones , and " Never Let Me Down Again (Aggro Mix) " by Depeche Mode . All these changes were decidedly unwelcome, both by critics and by many viewers who had become fans of

1534-488: A drunken rage, tracked down Hackman and killed him in cold blood. He would never fully recover from Davies' death. After getting caught in a boat explosion while undercover, Crockett suffered amnesia and briefly adopted his cover of Sonny Burnett, starting working for Miami drug cartels. However, after he survived a car bomb hit on his life, his memory returned, and horrified at what he had become, and seeing no alternative, he turned himself in to his squad. However, having lost

1652-569: A former University of Florida Gators football star who had sustained an injury which put an end to his sports career. He served two tours in Vietnam – or as he calls it, the "Southeast Asia Conference". He joined Metro-Dade sometime after returning from Vietnam, and in the academy, he made friends with Evan Freed and Mike Orgel. He started his police career first as an uniformed patrol officer, before getting promoted to Detective and assigned to Robbery Division under Lieutenant Frank Malone, where he

1770-595: A full length in-game version of " In the Air Tonight ". In a deleted scene of The Office episode " Special Project ", Stanley walks into Andy's office wearing a white suit with a pink shirt. Phillis goes on to remark "Where's Crockett?" To which Stanley replies "I am Crockett." In Back to the Future: The Game , Sonny Crockett is one of the pseudonyms that the player can choose for Marty McFly . Sonny's backstory of college football prowess and being

1888-719: A gateway for sales to Latin America, as well as the Miami River Cops scandal (a real police corruption ring that involved narcotic thefts, drug dealing and murders), street prostitution, serial home burglaries, crimes committed by Cuban immigrants to Miami following the Mariel boatlift , and yakuza and Mafia activity in Miami. The series also took a look at political issues such as the Northern Ireland conflict ,

2006-564: A hit by assassin Ludovici Armstrong, who was hired by Calderone to kill Crockett, Caroline really realizes the stress and dangers of his job and they agree to divorce, and Caroline and Billy move away. Crockett would not then see Billy for three years, until he goes to see him after accidentally shooting a 13-year old child who drew a gun on him. Around the same time, Crockett was assigned with protecting pop singer Caitlin Davies, who

2124-491: A hitman. Caroline Crockett, Sonny's first wife, as well as his son Billy reappeared briefly. Jan Hammer departed from the series at the end of the fourth season, having already handed much of the weekly scoring workload during the season over to John Petersen. The tone of many season 4 episodes grew lighter again, albeit sometimes veering off into the bizarre, e.g. episodes like "The Big Thaw", "Missing Hours", and "The Cows of October". Fashions and scene backdrops largely reassumed

2242-440: A line of Miami Vice dinner jackets, Kenneth Cole introduced Crockett and Tubbs shoes, and Macy's opened a Miami Vice section in its young men's department. Crockett also boosted Ray Ban's popularity by wearing a pair of Model L2052, Ray-Ban Wayfarers , which increased sales of Ray Bans to 720,000 units in 1984. In the spring of 1986, an electric razor became available named the "Stubble Device", allowing users to have

2360-507: A minor fashion trend, inspiring men to wear designer stubble at all times. In an average episode, Crockett and Tubbs wore five to eight outfits, appearing in shades of pink, blue, green, peach, fuchsia, and the show's other "approved" colors. Designers such as Vittorio Ricci, Gianni Versace , and Hugo Boss were consulted in keeping the male leads looking trendy. Costume designer Bambi Breakstone, who traveled to Milan , Paris, and London in search of new clothes, said that, "The concept of

2478-502: A modernized, film adaptation based on the series, which was released in July 2006. The conception of the show is unclear. One version of events states that the head of NBC's Entertainment Division, Brandon Tartikoff , wrote a brainstorming memo that simply read " MTV cops", and later presented it to series creator Anthony Yerkovich , formerly a writer and producer for Hill Street Blues . Yerkovich, however, has indicated he devised

SECTION 20

#1732779725352

2596-481: A more distinctive style. Influenced by an Art Deco revival, no " earth tones " were allowed to be used in the production by executive producer Michael Mann . A director of Miami Vice , Bobby Roth , recalled: There are certain colors you are not allowed to shoot, such as red and brown. If the script says "A Mercedes pulls up here," the car people will show you three or four different Mercedes. One will be white, one will be black, one will be silver. You will not get

2714-442: A previously unaired episode during its syndication run of the series on January 25, 1990. Unlike standard police procedurals , the show drew heavily upon 1980s New Wave culture and is noted for its integration of contemporary pop and rock music, and stylish or stylized visuals. People magazine states that Miami Vice was the "first show to look really new and different since color TV was invented". Michael Mann also directed

2832-434: A red or brown one. Michael knows how things are going to look on camera. Miami Vice was one of the first American network television programs to be broadcast in stereophonic sound. It is mixed in stereo for its entire run. Each episode of the series cost $ 2 million. Nick Nolte and Jeff Bridges were considered for the role of Sonny Crockett, but since it was not lucrative for film stars to venture into television at

2950-499: A result, the Daytona lasted until season 2, at which point it was "blown up" in the season three premiere episode, "When Irish Eyes Are Crying". Neither the kit car nor its backup were actually destroyed, as the production company simply blew up a small, plastic model for both cost and safety reasons. The fake Ferraris were removed from the show, with Ferrari donating two brand new 1986 Testarossas as replacements. The Ferrari Daytona

3068-751: A run in the West End of London production of Guys and Dolls as Nathan Detroit. Johnson also had a role in the Norwegian comedy Lange Flate Ballær 2 ("Long Flat Balls II"), directed by Johnson's friend Harald Zwart . Johnson did the movie as a favor to Zwart. The movie was launched on March 14, 2008, in Norway, with Johnson making an appearance at the premiere. He next appeared in When in Rome with Danny DeVito , Anjelica Huston and Kristen Bell . Johnson had

3186-473: A ruse to ensure Borbon's silence regarding corruption in the very highest levels of the American government. As the government agents attempt to whisk Borbon away in a seaplane, Crockett and Tubbs shoot the seaplane down, killing everyone on board. When the head agent assigned to the case, Colonel Andrew Baker, threatens to take their badges for their actions, they throw their badges on the ground and resign from

3304-601: A singer, he released the albums Heartbeat (1986) and Let It Roll (1989). His cover version of " Heartbeat " peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 . Johnson was born on December 15, 1949, in his grandmother's house in Flat Creek, Missouri . His mother, Nell (née Wilson; 1933–1975), was a beautician. His father, Fredie Wayne Johnson (1930–2017), was a farmer. At the time of his birth, Johnson's mother and father were 16 and 19 years old, respectively. Johnson

3422-445: A son, Jesse Wayne Johnson (born December 7, 1982). In her 2000 autobiography Cybill Disobedience , Cybill Shepherd wrote of a liaison with Johnson during the making of the television miniseries The Long Hot Summer (1985). Johnson next had a relationship with Barbra Streisand , lasting into at least September 1988. Just days after breaking up with Streisand, Johnson, then 38, was linked to 18-year-old Uma Thurman . Johnson

3540-444: A son, Billy. Due to the stress brought on by Crockett's profession - working as an undercover vice detective, "living the life" away from home to maintain his "cover" - Caroline filed for divorce in 1984 and planned to move to Atlanta with Billy. However, due to increasingly bitter legal process, he and Caroline decided to fire their lawyers and give their relationship one more shot. However, after they, along with Billy, barely survive

3658-555: A supporting role in Robert Rodriguez 's film Machete . Johnson played Von Jackson, "a twisted border vigilante leading a small army". The film was released on September 3, 2010. In October 2010, he began appearing on the HBO series Eastbound & Down , playing Kenny Powers ' long-lost father, going by the alias "Eduardo Sanchez". He also reprised his role as Sonny Crockett for a Nike commercial with LeBron James in which

Don Johnson - Misplaced Pages Continue

3776-494: A white Testarossa . The character first used a SIG Sauer P220 as his main firearm in the pilot episode, but this was replaced by the Dornaus & Dixon's Bren Ten . After Dornaus & Dixon went out of business, since the producers would not use discontinued guns, he would switch to Smith & Wesson Model 645 in Season 3, and in Season 5, to its successor, Model 4506 . Crockett was married to Caroline, with whom he has

3894-603: Is also frequently haunted by his past in Southeast Asia, which he had spent as a DEA agent in the Golden Triangle . In the first seasons the tone was lighter, especially when comical characters such as police informants Noogie Lamont ( Charlie Barnett ) and Izzy Moreno ( Martin Ferrero ) appeared. Later the content was darker and cynical, with Crockett and Tubbs fighting corruption, and storylines emphasizing

4012-418: Is depicted as a rogue character who lives by his own set of rules and he is often angered by and in conflict with orders from his superiors. This part of his persona is emphasized by the fact that he lives on a sailing yacht moored in Miami's luxurious Miamarina and keeps an alligator as a pet on the same boat, and drives a Ferrari - first a black Daytona Spyder , and after it is destroyed by a Stinger missile ,

4130-494: Is repeatedly used as the back room of the Gold Coast Shipping building, where the offices of the vice squad are located. Miami Vice is noted for its innovative use of stereo broadcast music, particularly pop and rock hits of the 1980s, and the distinctive, synthesized instrumental music of Jan Hammer . While other television shows used made-for-TV music, Miami Vice would spend $ 10,000 or more per episode to buy

4248-421: Is the subject of a huge continuity error on the show, when it suddenly reappears in "El Viejo", six episodes after its destruction, without explanation. Originally "El Viejo" was set to be the third season premiere, but studio executives felt the Daytona's destruction would serve as a more dramatic opening to the season. Don Johnson's contract holdout at the start of the season also played a part, delaying filming to

4366-746: The Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. " Till I Loved You ", a duet with then-girlfriend Barbra Streisand , was a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. It was released on the Columbia Records studio album Till I Loved You on October 25, 1988. The song was re-released on the Streisand album Duets in 2002. Johnson has been married five times to four women, and has four children with two of them (one daughter with Melanie Griffith, three children with Kelley Phleger) plus one son with Patti D'Arbanville. Three of his marriages were brief;

4484-499: The Buick Grand National also made appearances. Throughout the series, Sonny Crockett lived on an Endeavour sailboat, St. Vitus' Dance , while in the pilot episode, Crockett is seen on a 38-foot Cabo Rico sailboat. In season 1, he is seen living on an Endeavour 40 sailboat, while in the rest of the series (seasons 2 to 5) he is seen living on an Endeavour 42 sailboat (priced at $ 120,000 in 1986). The allure of

4602-652: The San Francisco Police Department . In Nash Bridges , Johnson was again paired with a flashy convertible car, a yellow 1971 Plymouth Barracuda . In the fall of 2005, Johnson briefly starred in The WB courtroom television drama show Just Legal as a jaded lawyer with a young and idealistic protégé/partner ( Jay Baruchel ); the show was canceled in October 2005 after just three of the eight produced episodes aired. In January 2007, Johnson began

4720-513: The handlebar moustache he chose for Crockett's physical appearance was an idea he regretted after seeing it on film. In 2006, coinciding with the release of the feature film , a Det. James "Sonny" Crockett action figure was released. It included a figure of Crockett and a plastic alligator. In 2006, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories was released, and included a character based on Crockett, who interacts with Lance Vance, voiced by Philip Michael Thomas, and Phil Collins himself, who performs

4838-502: The " T-shirt under Armani jacket"–style, and popularized Italian men's fashion in the United States. Don Johnson 's typical attire of Italian sport coat, T-shirt, white linen pants, and slip-on sockless loafers became a hit. Crockett initially wore an 18k Rolex Day-Date "President" model in the first season, until Ebel won the contract for the remaining seasons. Similarly, Crockett's perpetually unshaven appearance sparked

Don Johnson - Misplaced Pages Continue

4956-751: The ABC prime time soap opera Blood & Oil . In 2018, he starred as the character of Arthur, the love interest of Vivian, played by Jane Fonda in Bill Holderman's romantic-comedy Book Club . In 2019, Johnson played the role of Richard Drysdale in Rian Johnson 's murder-mystery Knives Out ; and starred as Police Chief Judd Crawford in the HBO series Watchmen . In 2021, Johnson co-starred on Kenan until its cancellation in May 2022. He also appeared in

5074-522: The June re-runs as "Lost Episodes". A fourth, previously unaired episode, "Too Much Too Late", was aired for the first time in 1990, on the USA Network . It has since been run by other networks in syndication with the fifth season episodes. Many actors, actresses, musicians, comedians, athletes and celebrities appear throughout the show's five-season run. They play many different roles from drug dealers to undercover cops to madams. The full list can be seen at

5192-573: The Marlboro Man (1991), and in Sidney Lumet 's thriller Guilty as Sin (1993), opposite Rebecca De Mornay . Johnson later starred in the 1996–2001 CBS-TV police drama Nash Bridges with Cheech Marin , Jeff Perry , Jaime P. Gomez , Kelly Hu , Wendy Moniz, Annette O'Toole , Jodi Lyn O'Keefe as his daughter Cassidy, and James Gammon as his father Nick. Johnson portrayed the title role, an inspector (later promoted to captain) for

5310-707: The NBA player contemplates acting and appears alongside Johnson on Miami Vice . In September 2011, Johnson had a cameo in the comedy A Good Old Fashioned Orgy with Jason Sudeikis . Johnson had a supporting role in the 2012 Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained , playing a southern plantation owner named Spencer 'Big Daddy' Bennett. In 2014, Johnson starred as the character "Jim Bob" opposite Sam Shepard and Michael C. Hall in Jim Mickle's critically acclaimed crime film, Cold in July . In 2015, Johnson began starring in

5428-526: The NYPD to the MDPD), thus beginning their new partnership. At first, Crockett appears difficult to get along with (a notion which he admits himself in episodes Brother's Keeper , and Nobody Lives Forever ). He is a man of few words with a tough exterior, but can also be a loving and caring person. His softer side is revealed when innocent victims die or suffer injustice at the hands of villains or when someone pays

5546-544: The Offshore World Cup in 1988. In November 2002, German customs officers at the Swiss–German border performed a routine search of Johnson's car. Bank statements evidencing US$ 8 billion in transactions were found in the trunk of his car. He was accompanied in his black Mercedes-Benz by three men: an investment adviser, a personal assistant, and a third unknown individual who could not be identified. Initially it

5664-654: The Power Station , Glenn Frey , Suicidal Tendencies , Willie Nelson , Ted Nugent , Frank Zappa , the Fat Boys , Sheena Easton , Gloria Estefan , and Gene Simmons . An iconic scene from the Miami Vice oeuvre involves Crockett and Tubbs driving through Miami at night to Phil Collins ' song " In the Air Tonight ". Jan Hammer credits executive producer Michael Mann with allowing him great creative freedom in scoring Miami Vice . Hammer later recalled in interviews that Michael Mann told him that as soon as

5782-536: The Reagan era than Don Johnson. As Miami Vice's Sonny Crockett, the undercover detective and professional stubble-cultivator who lived on a houseboat with his pet alligator Elvis, he embodied masculine cool in the era of coke binges and Lamborghinis". The Sonny Crockett character typically wore thousand-dollar Versace and Armani suits over pastel cotton T-shirts, drove a Ferrari, wore expensive timepieces by Rolex and Ebel , and lived on an Endeavour yacht . Miami Vice

5900-490: The TV series, due to the package that the first two seasons delivered. It caused the producers to retool their approach to Miami Vice for the following fourth season. By Season 4, most of the original writers had left the series. Stories and story arcs included a courtship and marriage between Sonny Crockett ( Don Johnson ) and Caitlin Davies ( Sheena Easton ), and a plot in which Crockett developed amnesia, during which he mistook himself for his drug dealer alter ego and became

6018-468: The aspect of human tragedy behind a crime. The darker episodes sometimes lacked a denouement , each episode ending abruptly after a climax involving violence and death, often giving the episodes a despairing and sometimes nihilistic feel, despite the trademark glamour and conspicuous wealth. Given its idiosyncratic "dark" feel and touch, Miami Vice is frequently cited as an example of made-for-TV neo-noir . Michael Mann, who serves as executive producer for

SECTION 50

#1732779725352

6136-587: The boat , dubbed the Scarab 38KV Miami Vice Edition, were built by Wellcraft. The Miami Vice graphics and color scheme, which include turquoise, aqua, and orchid, was available by special order on any model Scarab from 20 to 38 feet. Don Johnson also participated in the design of the Scarab Excel 43 ft, Don Johnson Signature Series (DJSS), and raced a similar one. The DJSS was powered by twin 650-hp Lamborghini V-12 engines, which caused some problems to

6254-642: The color was sort of beige. The art department instantly paints the house gray for me. Even on feature films people try to deliver what is necessary but no more. At Miami Vice they start with what's necessary and go beyond it." Miami Vice is to some degree credited with causing a wave of support for the preservation of Miami's famous Art Deco architecture in the mid-1980s to early 1990s; and many of those buildings, among them many beachfront hotels, have been renovated since filming, making that part of South Beach one of South Florida 's most popular places for tourists and celebrities. Other places commonly filmed in

6372-450: The concept after learning about asset forfeiture statutes allowing law enforcement agencies to confiscate the property of drug dealers for official use. The initial idea was for a movie about a pair of vice cops in Miami. Yerkovich then wrote a script for a two-hour pilot, titled Gold Coast , but later renamed it Miami Vice . Yerkovich was immediately drawn to South Florida as a setting for his new-style police show. In keeping with

6490-535: The copyright of Nash Bridges . Rysher announced it would appeal the verdict. In January 2013, Rysher settled the suit with a $ 19 million payment. James %22Sonny%22 Crockett James Crockett, more commonly known as Sonny Crockett, is a detective in the Metro-Dade Police Department (now Miami-Dade Police Department ). He holds the rank of detective sergeant in the MDPD. Crockett is

6608-469: The degree of perfection with which color shades of scene backdrops, props and clothing are matched to each other. For its third season in 1986–87 after the cancellation of Knight Rider , the show moved from its traditional time slot of 10   pm on Friday nights to 9   pm, which now put it up against perennial Top 10 show Dallas . This began the show's decline, and in March, 1987, TV Guide ran

6726-414: The design of the boat due to their size. Overall the boat cost $ 300,000 with each engine amounting to between $ 60–$ 70,000. His interest in boat racing eventually led Johnson to start his own offshore powerboat racing team, named Team USA . Joining him were Hollywood stars including Kurt Russell and Chuck Norris . Johnson won the Offshore World Cup in 1988 and continued racing into the 1990s. In

6844-467: The drug trade—money laundering, bail bondsmen, attorneys who service drug smugglers. Miami has become a sort of Barbary Coast of free enterprise gone berserk. The choice of music and cinematography borrowed heavily from the emerging New Wave culture of the 1980s. As such, segments of Miami Vice sometimes used music-based stanzas, a technique later featured in Baywatch . As Lee H. Katzin , one of

6962-636: The drug war in South America (e.g. "Prodigal Son"), U.S. support of generals and dictators in Southeast Asia and South America, and the aftermath of the Vietnam War . Social issues like child abuse , homophobia , and the AIDS crisis were also covered. Personal issues also arose: Crockett separated from his wife Caroline ( Belinda Montgomery ) in the pilot and divorced in the fourth episode, and later his second wife Caitlin Davies ( Sheena Easton )

7080-591: The early 1990s and, to some extent, has had a lasting impact. Miami Vice also popularized certain brands of firearms and accessories. After Johnson became dissatisfied with his gun holster, the Jackass Leather Company (later renamed Galco International) sent their president, Rick Gallagher, to personally fit Don Johnson with an "Original Jackass Rig", later renamed the Galco "Miami Classic". The Bren Ten , manufactured by Dornaus & Dixon ,

7198-460: The first two were annulled within a matter of days. The names of Johnson's first two wives have not been made public, though he has said that one of them was a dancer and the other a "rich bimbo". Circa 1971, Johnson lived with self-described "groupie" Pamela Des Barres . During the first half of 1972, Johnson met Melanie Griffith , the 14-year-old daughter of his Harrad Experiment co-star Tippi Hedren . The pair moved in together when Griffith

SECTION 60

#1732779725352

7316-531: The guilt of his death. Crockett first appears in the pilot episode of Miami Vice (1984) as an undercover vice cop on the trail of a Colombian drug lord known simply as "the Colombian." While undercover he meets Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs ( Philip Michael Thomas ), an NYPD undercover officer, who too is on the trail of a drug dealer and cop killer, Calderone ( Miguel Piñero ). Calderone and "the Colombian " are

7434-538: The latter episode, Guerrero made an attempt to escape from the vice team in N2969 but ran out of fuel and was killed after he stole a fisherman's boat which then ran ashore and exploded. In December 2005, N2969 suffered a catastrophic structural failure when the right wing separated from the fuselage as the plane climbed out of Miami bound for the Bahamas. Both crew members and all 18 passengers were killed upon impact with

7552-516: The majority of the show's five-year run, is often credited with being one of the most influential neo-noir directors. The second-season episode " Out Where the Buses Don't Run " ranks #90 on TV Guide ' s 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time list. During its five-year run, Miami Vice underwent several noticeable changes in its formula and content. Between seasons one and two, however, these changes were mostly subtle and involved details such as

7670-527: The network and Johnson were able to resolve their differences and he continued with the series until its end. Despite the Miami setting, the producers initially planned to film the series in Los Angeles . However, by the time production began, the decision had been made to shoot in Miami itself. Many episodes of Miami Vice were filmed in the South Beach section of Miami Beach , an area which, at

7788-431: The nightclubs turned out to be gay bars, Orgel did not want to participate. Teasing him about it, Freed outed Orgel as gay and started mistreating him with homophobic slurs. Crockett, who did not know how to handle the situation, kept silent. Orgel was assigned to desk duty and ended up committing "cop suicide" by attempting to arrest a suspect high on " angel dust " carrying a shotgun. Crockett and Freed would end up carrying

7906-403: The other four Stingers, Chris-Craft showed the production crew a color scheme that included the red – however, since Michael Mann decided that the color red was to never show up on the show, a blue color scheme was chosen instead. The Stingers used on the show were not free from Chris-Craft. This situation caused the production team to switch to using Wellcraft 38 Scarab KVs for the remainder of

8024-408: The pastel hues of seasons 1 and 2, and the choice of music became more varied again. Hopes by the producers of propitiating former and remaining fans this way only materializing very mutedly, and reception was lukewarm, as evidenced by the show's still declining ratings during season four. The fifth season (1988–1989) saw the show return to its original timeslot, 10   pm on Friday nights and took

8142-461: The point where "El Viejo" could not finish in time for the season premiere. The series' crew also used a third Testarossa lookalike, which was the stunt car. Carl Roberts, who had worked on the Daytona kit cars, offered to build the stunt car. Roberts decided to use a 1972 De Tomaso Pantera , which had the same wheelbase as the Testarossa and thus was perfect for the body pieces. The vehicle

8260-465: The police force in disgust, despite Castillo's pleas to reconsider. Having packed up his few personal possessions in a duffel bag, Crockett meets up with Tubbs, who is going back to New York, one last time and offers him a ride to the airport in his "stolen" Ferrari, while he himself intends to "head further south, where the water is warm, the drinks are cold, and I don't know the names of the players". The name "Sonny Crockett" had previously been used for

8378-487: The price for others' mistakes. Crockett despises those who use or deceive others for self-serving reasons. He is a highly moral person who assiduously honors his own promises and commitments, and he expects no less from others. Crockett is a cigarette smoker. He is often seen smoking cigarettes on stakeouts and inside Vice headquarters. He tends to smoke when he is concerned or worried. In season 4, he claims that he has quit smoking. Crockett's hard exterior stems in part from

8496-617: The public, including the Steyr AUG , MAC-10 and the Desert Eagle , were showcased to a wide audience on this show. Even heavy guns came to use, as Zito is seen maneuvering an M60 machine gun from a rooftop in the episode "Lombard". Two automobiles drew a lot of attention in Miami Vice , the Ferrari Daytona and Testarossa . During the first two seasons and two episodes of the third season, Detective Sonny Crockett drove

8614-449: The remainder of the series' run and brought with him a style of instrumental synthesizer music that was markedly different from Jan Hammer's. After still-declining ratings during the fourth season, NBC originally planned to order just a shortened fifth season of only 13 episodes, but eventually settled for another full run, which was, either way, going to be the final season. At the beginning of season five, Olivia Brown recalled, "The show

8732-471: The rights to original recordings. Getting a song played on Miami Vice was a boost to record labels and artists. Some newspapers, such as USA Today , would let readers know the songs that would be featured each week. Among the many well-known bands and artists, as well as underground or 'new wave' associated acts, who contributed their music to the show were: Several artists guest-star in episodes, including Leonard Cohen , Phil Collins , Miles Davis ,

8850-548: The sailboats was such that the Endeavour 42 used for the 1986 season of Miami Vice was sold to a midwest couple, while the Endeavour 40, was sold to a chartering service in Fort Lauderdale . At the same time, Endeavour was building a new 42 for the 1987 season of Miami Vice . In the pilot episode, and for the first season, Crockett piloted a Chris-Craft Stinger 390 X – a 39-foot deep-v offshore racing boat. For

8968-460: The same person. Crockett and Tubbs both go undercover as Sonny Burnett and Rico Cooper respectively, trying to get closer to Calderone. They are successful and in the end capture him. Just as they go to see him in jail, Calderone makes his $ 2 million bail and is on his way out of the country. Crockett promises Tubbs that they will get him, but as reconciliation asks him if he is interested in a career in "Southern Law Enforcement" (e.g., transferring from

9086-488: The series include locations around Broward and Palm Beach counties. Interior scenes were initially supposed to be filmed at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, but to simplify cross-country logistics, the decision was made to use the facilities of Greenwich Studios in North Miami instead, and only carry out post-production in L.A. In a few scenes, particularly in earlier episodes, Greenwich Studios' rear loading dock

9204-566: The serious human aspect of crime than on glamorizing the tropical lifestyles of drug dealers and other high-profile criminals. This shift in tone also reflected in the series' fashions, color schemes, and its choice of music. The cast started wearing pronouncedly dark clothing and even earthtones, which had famously been avoided by executive producer Michael Mann in seasons one and two. Color palettes of scene backdrops started becoming much darker as well, with pastels replaced by harsher-appearing shades of neon. Whereas seasons one and two always featured

9322-546: The show focus on contemporary issues like the Troubles in Northern Ireland and capital punishment. In addition to losing the battle against new timeslot rival Dallas, the general tone of season 3 episodes started to become more serious and less lighthearted than in previous seasons. Comedic scenes and subplots became distinctly rare. True to Dick Wolf's "grabbed from the headlines" approach which he later employed in TV series like Law & Order , storylines focused more on

9440-469: The show is to be on top of all the latest fashion trends in Europe." Jodi Tillen, the costume designer for the first season, along with Michael Mann , set the style. The abundance of pastel colors on the show reflects Miami's Art-deco architecture. During its five-year run, consumer demand for unstructured blazers, shiny fabric jackets, and lighter pastels increased. After Six formal wear even created

9558-470: The show on a yet more serious tone, with storylines becoming dark and gritty – enough so that even some of the most loyal fans were left perplexed. Some of the lack of script quality could be attributed to the Writers Guild strike throughout spring and summer of 1988, which ended just before filming of season 5 began, but greatly impacted its preparation. Tim Truman took over scoring the episodes for

9676-428: The show's directors, remarked, "The show is written for an MTV audience, which is more interested in images, emotions and energy than plot and character and words." These elements made the series into an instant hit, and in its first season saw an unprecedented fifteen Emmy Award nominations. While the first few episodes contain elements of a standard police procedural , the producers soon abandoned them in favor of

9794-411: The show's opening credits, along with both the pilot episode, "Brother's Keeper", and the season 4 episode, "Baseballs of Death", a Grumman Turbo Mallard (G-73T) amphibious airplane (registration # N2969), operated by Chalk's International Airlines made appearances. In the pilot episode, the drug dealer Calderone used N2969 to successfully escape from Crockett and Tubbs at the climax of the episode. In

9912-564: The show's production would start, Mann wanted him to "run with it" . The collaboration resulted in memorable instrumental pieces, including the show's title theme , which climbed to the top of the Billboard charts in November 1985. The Miami Vice original soundtrack, featuring the theme song and Glenn Frey's " Smuggler's Blues " and " You Belong to the City " (a No. 2 hit), remained at

10030-434: The show's run, three official soundtrack albums with original music from the episodes were released. Hammer also released several albums with music from the series; among them are Escape from Television (1987), Snapshots (1989), and after many requests from fans, Miami Vice: The Complete Collection (2002). The clothes worn on Miami Vice had a significant influence on men's fashion . They popularized, if not invented,

10148-494: The show's title, most episodes focus on combating drug trafficking and prostitution. Episodes often end in an intense gun battle, claiming the lives of several criminals before they can be apprehended. An undercurrent of cynicism and futility underlies the entire series. The detectives repeatedly refer to the " Whac-A-Mole " nature of drug interdiction, with its parade of drug cartels quickly replacing those that are apprehended. Co-executive producer Yerkovich explained: Even when I

10266-419: The show. The Scarab 38 KVs were a 28-hued, twin 440-hp boat that sold for $ 130,000 in 1986. As a result of the attention the Scarab 38 KV garnered on Miami Vice , Wellcraft received "an onslaught of orders", increasing sales by 21% in one year. In appreciation, Wellcraft gave Don Johnson an exact duplicate of the boat. Afterward, Johnson was frequently seen arriving to work in it. Altogether, 100 copies of

10384-403: The street". In early episodes in particular, local elderly residents were frequently cast as extras. Some street corners of South Beach were so run down that the production crew actually decided to repaint the exterior walls of some buildings before filming. The crew went to great lengths to find the correct settings and props. Bobby Roth recalled, "I found this house that was really perfect, but

10502-432: The television series character. He had no backstory, the only backstory being for his alias Sonny Burnett. The television version of Crockett carried a lot of personal baggage and so the new Crockett, by contrast, could travel light and sleek, with no backstories to "burden the picture" with exposition. The film version of Crockett is shown to be stern, cavalier, reservedly flirtatious and somewhat impulsive, but nonetheless

10620-417: The time, other candidates were considered. Mickey Rourke was also considered for the role, but he turned down the offer. Larry Wilcox , of CHiPs , was also a candidate for the role of Crockett, but the producers felt going from one police officer role to another would not be a good fit. After dozens of candidates and a twice-delayed pilot shooting, Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas were chosen as

10738-429: The time, was blighted by poverty and crime, with its demographic so deteriorated that there "simply weren't many people on the street. Ocean Drive's hotels were filled with elderly, mostly Jewish retirees, many of them frail, subsisting on meager Social Security payments. ... They were filming all over Miami Beach. ... They could film in the middle of the street. There was literally nobody there. There were no cars parked in

10856-403: The top of the U.S. album chart for 11 weeks in 1985, making it the most successful TV soundtrack at the time. The theme song was so popular that it also garnered two Grammy Awards in 1986. It was also voted the number-one theme song of all time by TV Guide readers. " Crockett's Theme ", another recurring tune from the show, became a No. 1 hit in several European countries in 1987. During

10974-493: The trust of his friends and facing the risk of being jailed for the crimes committed as Burnett, Crockett escaped from custody and took down the rest of the cartel, saving Tubbs' life in the process. Though it helped him earn back some of the trust he had lost, he still had to answer for his crimes, and was ordered to take time off and would have to undergo questioning and psychiatric evaluations. Though he would be later exonerated, and his friends slowly began to trust him again, he

11092-569: The type of work he performs and also from rough experiences from his past, losing friends, partners, and other people he has been close to or otherwise deeply cared about. From time to time, these memories haunt him and he struggles with feelings of guilt and because of difficult decisions he has had to make. He is very close with his friends and colleagues, Switek, Zito, Gina and Trudy, as well as with his supervisor, MDPD Lieutenant Martin Castillo, and especially with his partner, Ricardo Tubbs. Crockett

11210-462: The vice cops. For Johnson, who was by then 34 years old, NBC had particular doubts about the several earlier unsuccessful pilots in which he starred. Jimmy Smits played Eddie Rivera, Crockett's ill-fated partner, in the pilot episode. After two seasons, Don Johnson threatened to walk from the series as part of a highly publicized contract dispute. The network was ready to replace him with Mark Harmon , who had recently departed St. Elsewhere , but

11328-404: The water. Scripts were loosely based on actual crimes that occurred in Miami over the years. This included both local, international, and global organized crime. Many episodes focused on drug trafficking (for which real-life Miami was a main hub and entrance point into North America in the early 1980s). Other episodes were based on crimes such as firearms trafficking, for which Miami was equally

11446-501: The wealth of lawyers and politically-minded senior police officials all too eager to handcuff his attempts at fighting the influx of drugs for the sake of advancing their own careers. Tubbs later comes to the same realization. The breaking point would come in the final episode of the series, when the two of them are assigned with protecting General Borbon, the military dictator of Costa Morada, who would testify against major drug producers in his home country. However, it all turned out to be

11564-619: Was "best friends" with journalist Hunter S. Thompson , who wrote for Nash Bridges , and his daughter Dakota saw Thompson as a "godfather figure." Johnson entered powerboat racing and sometimes raced with Kurt Russell and Chuck Norris . In 1986, Johnson achieved his first motor sport victory. He won a 1,100-mile powerboat race up the Mississippi River from New Orleans to St. Louis . Characterized by shipmates as an aggressive, fearless pilot who did not make mistakes, Johnson became American Power Boat Association's World Champion of

11682-475: Was 12. He continued to live with his mother, younger sister and two younger brothers until he was 13, at which time he ended up in juvenile court and was sent to live with his father in Missouri. He moved back home to Wichita for his senior year of high school, working part-time as a butcher's apprentice and ladies' shoe salesman. He attended Wichita South High School , from which he graduated in 1967. When he

11800-493: Was 15 and Johnson was 23. On her 18th birthday they became engaged, and were married in January 1976; they separated that July and divorced in November. In 1980, Johnson dated Sally Adams, mother of actress Nicollette Sheridan . In January of the following year, he met former Warhol model Patti D'Arbanville at a Los Angeles restaurant. The pair lived together from 1981 to 1985 but never married. Johnson and D'Arbanville have

11918-659: Was 18. On April 29, 1999, Johnson married San Francisco socialite and Montessori nursery school teacher Kelley Phleger, former longtime girlfriend of Governor Gavin Newsom , at the Pacific Heights mansion of Ann and Gordon Getty . Actor Robert Wagner served as best man, and Mayor Willie Brown presided over the civil ceremony. Johnson and Phleger have three children together: a daughter, Atherton Grace (born December 28, 1999), and two sons, Jasper Breckinridge (born June 6, 2002), and Deacon (born April 29, 2006). Johnson

12036-500: Was a stainless steel handgun used by Don Johnson during Miami Vice's first two seasons. Dornaus & Dixon went out of business in 1986, and Smith & Wesson was offered a contract to outfit Johnson's character with a S&W Model 645 during season three. Several firearms never before seen on TV were featured prominently for the first time in the show, including the Glock 17 pistol. In addition, firearms not yet well known to

12154-447: Was away on a European tour, Crockett was shot in the line of duty by the girlfriend of a drug dealer he shot, and was left in hospital fighting for his life, but he would recover. However, after Caitlin returned from her tour and was reunited with Crockett, she was killed by Hackman (whom Crockett had erroneously had released from death row two years earlier). Upon learning that she was six weeks pregnant with their child, Crockett went into

12272-541: Was kicked off the school's football team, Johnson enrolled in a drama class to earn enough credits to graduate. Encouraged by his teacher, he played the lead role of Tony in West Side Story . He was also exposed to the plays of Molière , Tennessee Williams and Shakespeare . During his last semester, he auditioned for the summer repertory program at the University of Kansas and won a partial scholarship. He

12390-547: Was killed by one of his enemies. In the three episodes "Mirror Image", "Hostile Takeover", and "Redemption in Blood", a concussion caused by an explosion caused Crockett to believe he was his undercover alter ego Sonny Burnett, a drug dealer. Tubbs had a running, partly personal vendetta with the Calderone family, a member of which ordered the death of his brother Rafael, a New York City police detective. Lieutenant Martin Castillo

12508-406: Was modified to withstand daily usage on set, and continued to be driven until the series ended. Crockett was also seen driving a black 1978 Porsche 911 SC Targa in a flashback to 1980 in the Season 3 episode "Forgive Us Our Debts." Crockett's partner, Ricardo Tubbs, drove a 1964 Cadillac Coupe de Ville Convertible . Stan Switek drove a turquoise 1961 Ford Thunderbird . Gina Calabrese drove

12626-462: Was noted for its revolutionary use of music and cinematography , and for its glitzy take on the police drama genre. In the show, Crockett's partner was Ricardo Tubbs, played by Philip Michael Thomas . Johnson's work on Miami Vice earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama, in 1986. Johnson was nominated for the same award in 1987. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in

12744-418: Was on Hill Street Blues , I was collecting information on Miami, I thought of it as a sort of a modern-day American Casablanca . It seemed to be an interesting socio-economic tide pool: the incredible number of refugees from Central America and Cuba , the already extensive Cuban-American community, and on top of all that the drug trade. There is a fascinating amount of service industries that revolve around

12862-505: Was partnered with Detective Frankel. In 1979, Crockett and Frankel were working undercover on the case of armored car robbery by Frank Hackman and his crew, however, their covers were blown and in early 1980, after Crockett dropped him off at home, Frankel was killed by Hackman. Hours later, Crockett arrested Hackman, who was later sentenced to death. Crockett was then transferred to Vice Division, where he, Freed and Orgel were assigned to investigate illegal drug sales in nightclubs. When some of

12980-517: Was raised in Wichita, Kansas , where his parents relocated when he was five years old and where his father worked for Boeing Aircraft . He has described his childhood as "incredibly dysfunctional and abusive" as his parents were both frequently absent and stressed. His father subjected the children to corporal punishment . According to Johnson, he was 12 years old when he lost his virginity to his 16-year-old babysitter. Johnson's parents divorced when he

13098-888: Was released by CBS/Epic Records in 1986. In 1988, he starred in the romantic comedy Sweet Hearts Dance , alongside Susan Sarandon , Jeff Daniels and Elizabeth Perkins . In 1989 he played the sheriff of Los Angeles County Jerry Beck in John Frankenheimer 's film Dead Bang . In the early 1990s, Johnson played a variety of roles in well-produced films, including the role of drifter and car salesman Harry Maddox in Dennis Hopper 's The Hot Spot (1990) opposite Jennifer Connelly and Virginia Madsen . He worked on two films with his wife Melanie Griffith, Paradise (1991) and Born Yesterday (1993). He appeared alongside Mickey Rourke in Harley Davidson and

13216-446: Was scheduled to testify against her former manager Tommy Lowe. Though at first Crockett and Davies clashed over their professions, they ended up falling in love after Crockett saved her from a hit by Lowe's hitmen, and they got married, buying a house and agreeing not to let each other's careers interfere with their lives. Towards the end of the series, Crockett's role in the investigations decreased and he began to burn out. While Davies

13334-403: Was still left with the mental scarring of his brief life as Burnett. In addition to the aforementioned personal tragedies, he also lost faith in his work when he realized that he cannot win the battle against all the drug cartels and crooks with several others waiting in the wings to replace those he busted, and encountered increasing corruption in the justice system he was working to uphold, with

13452-494: Was subsequently awarded a full scholarship to attend as a drama major. There, Johnson, 18, dated his 29-year-old acting teacher. In his sophomore year, he left to San Francisco after passing an audition for the American Conservatory Theater . Johnson's first major role was in the 1969 Los Angeles stage production of Fortune and Men's Eyes , in which he played the lead role of Smitty. The play included

13570-502: Was the roommate of actor Sal Mineo at the time Mineo was murdered. In 1984, after years of struggling to establish himself as a TV actor, Johnson landed a starring role as undercover police detective Sonny Crockett in the Michael Mann / Universal Television cop series, Miami Vice . The show ran from 1984 to 1990. Miami Vice made Johnson "a major international star". According to Rolling Stone , "No one had more swagger in

13688-400: Was then briefly involved with Dead Bang co-star Penelope Ann Miller before reuniting with Melanie Griffith. They conceived a child close to the start of 1989, Dakota Johnson (born October 4, 1989), and were married again from June of that year until 1996. In 1996–1997, Johnson dated Jodi Lyn O'Keefe , who played his daughter on Nash Bridges . Johnson was 47 at the time while O'Keefe

13806-431: Was thought Johnson was involved in money laundering , but he was cleared of wrongdoing. In May 2008, within hours of losing his Woody Creek, Colorado , home to foreclosure, Johnson paid off his $ 14.5 million debt. In July 2010, a Los Angeles jury awarded Johnson $ 23.2 million in a lawsuit against production company Rysher Entertainment , from whom Johnson sought a share of profits commensurate with his ownership of half

13924-430: Was trying to reinvent itself." Dick Wolf said in an interview for E! True Hollywood Story , after the fifth season, it was all just "...kind of over", and that the show had "run its course". In May 1989, NBC aired the two-hour series finale, "Freefall". Despite its status as the "series finale", there were three episodes that did not air ("World of Trouble", "Miracle Man", and "Leap of Faith"), which appeared during

#351648