"Miami Vice" Smuggler's Blues (1985)

Director:

Paul Michael Glaser

Writers:

Anthony Yerkovich (creator)
Miguel Pinero (written by)

TV Series:

"Miami Vice" (1984)

Original Air Date:

1 February 1985 (Season 1, Episode 15)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Someone in law enforcement is murdering drug dealers and their families in cold blood. To find the culprit, Crockett and Tubbs go undercover and travel to Colombia with a laid-back pilot to pose as dealers. |

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Police | Undercover | Drugs | Miami Florida

Cast

Don Johnson	...	Detective James Crockett
Philip Michael Thomas	...	Detective Ricardo Tubbs
Saundra Santiago	...	Detective Gina Calabrese
Michael Talbott	...	Detective Stan Switek
John Diehl	...	Detective Larry Zito
Olivia Brown	...	Detective Trudy Joplin
Edward James Olmos	...	Lieutenant Martin Castillo
Richard Jenkins	...	Ed Waters
Jaime Sánchez	...	Grocero (as Jaime L. Sanchez)
Richard Edson	...	Wavey Davey
Ron Vawter	...	Lt. Jones
Glenn Frey	...	Jimmy Cole
Coati Mundi	...	Tucker Smith
John Garcia	...	Lt. Todo
John Girard	...	Bruce
Raúl Martínez	...	Roberto Morales (as Raul Martinez)
Nelson Oramas	...	Sam

Directed by
Paul Michael Glaser

Writing credits
Anthony Yerkovich		(creator)
Miguel Pinero		(written by)

Produced by
Richard Brams	....	co-producer
Patti Kent	....	associate producer
Frederick J. Lyle	....	associate producer (as Frederick Lyle)
Michael Mann	....	executive producer
John Nicolella	....	producer
Liam O'Brien	....	supervising producer

Original Music by
Jan Hammer

Cinematography by
Duke Callaghan		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Michael B. Hoggan

Art Direction by
Jeffrey Howard

Set Decoration by
Robert Lacey		(as Robert Lacey Jr.)

Costume Design by
Jodie Lynn Tillen		(as Jodie Tillen)

Production Management
Tikki Goldberg	....	unit production manager
Donald L. Gold	....	unit production manager (as Donald Gold)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bob Bender	....	first assistant director
George Fortmuller	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
John A. Larsen	....	sound editor
Michael R. Tromer	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Jim Michaels	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Anthony Correa	....	stunt double
Paul Nuckles	....	stunt coordinator

Casting Department
R. Colette Hailey	....	extras casting
Cheryl Louden-Kubin	....	extras casting (as Cheryl A. Louden)
Dee Miller	....	casting: Miami
Bonnie Timmermann	....	casting: New York

Music Department
Jerry Cohen	....	music editor
Jan Hammer	....	composer: title theme
Jan Hammer	....	performer: title theme

Other crew
Dennis Cooper	....	story editor
C. Cory M. McCrum-Abdo	....	production assistant (as C.C.M. McCrum)
Joel Surnow	....	executive story editor
Sherry Thorup	....	location manager

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Peter Lance		writer (multiple episodes 1988-1989)
Jeremy Lew		teleplay
Daniel Pyne		five episodes including "Yankee Dollar" (also as A.J. Edison)
Gustave Reininger		various episodes
Jack Thibeau		writer
Anthony Yerkovich		creator

Produced by
Michael Duggan	....	producer (1986-1989)
Dick Wolf	....	executive producer (1989)

Cinematography by
Dave Gist		(hand camera)
Bill Hinckley		(hand camera)

Film Editing by
C. Cory M. McCrum-Abdo
Alfonse Ruggiero

Makeup Department
Allan A. Apone	....	key makeup artist (1985-1988)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Attanasio	....	second unit director (1984-1989)
Tommy Burns	....	second second assistant director
Michelle Marx	....	assistant director: second unit

Sound Department
Gary Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ed Callahan	....	sound editor
Joseph D. Citarella	....	sound mixer (season 4)
Simon Coke	....	sound editor
Craig Harris	....	special surround sound design: sweeps week show
Grover B. Helsley	....	sound mixer (season 4)
Harry B. Miller III	....	sound editor
Glenn T. Morgan	....	sound effects editor
Bob Newlan	....	sound editor
Ron Scelza	....	sound (season 2)
Norto Sepulveda	....	sound editor
Gary Vaughan	....	sound editor
Mark Weber	....	boom operator
Ray West	....	sound mixer (season 4)
Jay Wilkinson	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
John Patteson	....	special effects assistant

Stunts
Andrew Castillo	....	stunt performer
Dave Gist	....	stunts
Luke Halpin	....	stunts
Robert Paisley	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Nik Petrik	....	first assistant camera: "c" camera
Doug Schwartz	....	second assistant camera
Owen Stephens	....	rigging gaffer
Jeff Wolf	....	first assistant camera: second unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gregory B. Peña	....	key costumer (1985-1989)

Editorial Department
Richard Brassaw	....	assistant film editor
Scott Klein	....	master colorist
C. Cory M. McCrum-Abdo	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Bradley Carow	....	assistant music editor
Jerry Sanford Cohen	....	music editor

Other crew
Fabio M. Arber	....	key production assistant (1984-1985)
Fabio M. Arber	....	location manager (1985-1989)
Betty Bennett	....	script supervisor
Tom Brocato	....	publicist
Tim Dinan	....	assistant production office coordinator
Daniel Kellison	....	production assistant
Peter Lance	....	story editor (1988-1989)
Mayo Sanchez	....	location manager (1988-1989)
Nick Sloan	....	stand-in (1 episode)
Dean Taucher	....	visual consultant (1986-1987)
Sam Tedesco	....	location manager
Sherry Thorup	....	location manager (22 episodes)

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1985) (USA) (TV)
• Universal Pictures (2007) (Italy) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Endeavour Yacht Corporation  sailboat furnished by (as Endeavor Yacht Corporation)
• Madonna Man  some men's wardrobe furnished by
• Murray Chris-Craft Sportsboats  power boats furnished by
• Panavision  lenses and panaflex camera
• Universal Title  titles & optical effects

Runtime:

Finland:47 min (DVD)

Language:

English

Goofs:

Continuity: Before they board the plane it has three-rotor props, the next scene where the engine starts it shows a two-rotor prop.

Quotes:

Jimmy Cole: I don't come cheap ya know... I take you where you wanna go, wait so long, then I'm a memory... Oh, and I don't have an "S" on my chest. I'm down with you cats if the play calls for it, but otherwise... I ain't into violence.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Miami Vice (2006)

Soundtrack:

Lunatic Fringe

An excellent first season episode

"Smugglers Blues" was inspired by the song of the same name by one Glenn Frey. In fact, the talented Frey appears in the episode as the guitar playing bush pilot, Jimmy Cole.

This is, not surprisingly, a fan favourite. The episode has a great use of locations and a fast-moving plot, with Crockett and Tubbs journeying to Cartagena in Colombia. Accompanied by Frey's "Smugglers Blues", the tale is entertaining, tense and gripping.

With a kidnapped Trudy in genuine danger, this episode has a nail-biting and memorable finale.

Again, Paul Michael Glaser shows his usual strong directing skills here. Jan Hammer's soundtrack is the icing on this delicious Miami cake.

One of the best stories of the first season - 10 out of 10.