Movies

The Rose Tattoo (1955)

This award-winning film, scripted by playwright Tennessee Williams, was filmed in the Conch Republic. Anna Magnani, who won an Oscar for her performance, is Serafina Delle Rose, a recently widowed Sicilian woman living in the American South. Though pained by her discovery that her husband had been unfaithful, Serafina finds herself falling for a man who reminds her of him. Key West is little more than a backdrop for this drama, but watching this movie may augment your visit to the town—Williams himself called it home for a while.

Key West: City of Colors (2003)

Key West's sizable gay population is a focal point in this short documentary, which examines relationships, acceptance, and diversity in the small island community. The centerpiece of the film is the community's celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Rainbow Flag. Revealing interviews with local residents about life in Key West are intertwined with shots of locals stretching the longest Rainbow Flag in history across the island.

Reap the Wild Wind (1942)

Set in the 1840s in Key West, this tall tale of two men rivaling for a feisty Southern belle entertains with dashing gentlemen (including a young John Wayne), pretty ladies, shipwrecks, and giant squids. This outlandish, action-packed drama reveals little about the "true Key West," but it's entertaining all the same.