Twice in the 1960s, film crews came to the brand new Cape Coral. A Route 66 television episode filmed here in 1963, and the 1966 comedy The Fat Spy was shot around town. The land company that built the city used both to show Cape Coral off to buyers across the country. This page is part of our history of Cape Coral.
Photo: Del Prado, one of the Cape Coral streets seen on screen in the 1966 film The Fat Spy. Restored and colorized from Lies That Came True by Eileen Bernard. Colors are added digitally.
The Route 66 episode, 1963
Route 66 was a popular CBS series about two young men driving the country in a Corvette. In the fall of 1963, the show filmed an episode titled Two Strangers and an Old Enemy in Southwest Florida, with scenes recorded in the Everglades and in Cape Coral.
The episode was written by Stirling Silliphant and directed by Walter Grauman, with guest actors Jack Warden, Anthony Zerbe and Sessue Hayakawa. For a young city still being carved out of scrubland, a network TV crew was a big deal.
The Fat Spy, 1966
The bigger production was a movie. The Fat Spy, released in 1966, was a beach comedy directed by Joseph Cates. It was filmed in Cape Coral, and the American Film Institute lists the city as the shooting location.
The cast had real names of the day: Phyllis Diller, Jack E. Leonard, Brian Donlevy and Jayne Mansfield. Local accounts say most of it was shot at Picnic Island, with scenes at the Yacht Club, along Del Prado and at the Cape Coral Rose Gardens. Today it is a fun piece of Cape Coral movie history.
Why a land company wanted a movie
Both the TV episode and the movie fit a plan. Gulf American was selling Cape Coral to the whole country, and film crews put the place on screens far away. It was one more way to show the canals, the water and the sunshine to people who had never been to Florida.
For the wider sales push, see the Waterfront Wonderland campaign and the free airplane rides.
Where to see it today
The filming spots are still part of the city. The Yacht Club and Del Prado are easy to find. The Rose Gardens are gone, but their story lives on in our page on the Rose Gardens. The Cape Coral Historical Museum has shown and sold copies of the film over the years.
Hollywood in Cape Coral FAQ
Was a movie filmed in Cape Coral?
Yes. The 1966 comedy The Fat Spy was filmed in Cape Coral, per the American Film Institute and other records.
Who was in The Fat Spy?
The cast included Phyllis Diller, Jack E. Leonard, Brian Donlevy and Jayne Mansfield. It was directed by Joseph Cates.
Did Route 66 film in Cape Coral?
Yes. The CBS series filmed an episode, Two Strangers and an Old Enemy, in the Everglades and Cape Coral in the fall of 1963.
Where in Cape Coral was The Fat Spy shot?
Local accounts place most of it at Picnic Island, with scenes at the Yacht Club, along Del Prado and at the Cape Coral Rose Gardens.
Why did they film here?
The land company, Gulf American, used film and TV to show the new city to buyers across the country.
Sources
- Wikipedia, The Fat Spy
- American Film Institute Catalog, The Fat Spy
- TheTVDB, Route 66, Two Strangers and an Old Enemy
- Florida Guide, screening of the 1966 Cape Coral movie
- Eileen Bernard, Lies That Came True (book)
Eileen Bernard worked in Gulf American’s publicity department, so her book is an insider’s account of Cape Coral’s early years. We use it alongside the other sources listed here.
Brenton Miebach, REALTOR®
Southwest Florida Lifestyle Living, eXp Realty. Helping buyers and sellers in Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Estero. Call or text 239-990-7738 or email brenton@brentonmiebach.com.
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