Jewel Of The Nile
filming locations (1985)

Cannes

Riviera Locations: Palais des Festivals et des Congrès
1 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes

Director : Lewis Teague Cast : Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner
Genre : Action comedy • Runtime : 107 min
Production year : 1985• Rating : PG Distributed by 20th Century Fox

Anchor 6

In Jewel of The Nile, Kathleen Turner’s book signing engagement takes place on the terrace atop the Palais de Festivals et des Congres (see right), a magnificant location that juts outs into Bay Of Cannes. Home to the esteemed Cannes Film Festival, the Palais opened in 1982 and was extended in 1999. The rooftop affords views towards Le Vieux Port, le Suquet and the Boulevard de Croisette, with the famous domes of the Carlton Hotel visible in much of the scene. As of 2013 the Palais was undergoing extensive reonvation which includes the addition of two auditoriums on the roof. Though the panorama will stay the same, it is likely the rooftop as we see it in the film will become unrecognisable in years to come. Following the engagement, a stabbing takes place on the Jetee Albert Edouard, beneath the Palais, and Joan is whisked away by car to Villefranche.

Then and Now

As a fishing village that thrives on its authenticity and past, it’s perhaps not surprising to learn that Villefranche is little-changed from the mid-80s. The Welcome Hotel was home to the celebrated artist Jean Cocteau whose fine art is on display throughout the building. In dramatic juxtaposition, it’s pleasing to see, within the reception area, a signed photo of Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner adorning the wall, a nod to the more recent cultural history of Villefranche.

The 1985 sequel to Romancing the Stone saw Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner reprising their roles in the action romance, Jewel of the Nile (20th Century Fox). The first 20 minutes of action are shot on the Cote D’Azur and see Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas seemingly living the high life, docked on the yacht “Angelina” in the Bay of Villefranche. Though Roger Ebert, the celebrated film reviewer, described them as “unwinding in Cannes” and others have claimed this is supposed to be Nice, the location is clearly, in reality, Villefranche. The movie offers sweeping glimpes of the village before Jack and Joan mount a motorbike outside the Welcome Hotel on Quai de L’Amiral Courbet. Following a brief visit to Cannes, the film returns to Villefranche at nightfall, where Jack meets a bedraggled Danny Devito. Finally, before the film’s action moves to Africa, an explosion destroys Jack’s yacht, just off the Port de la Santé.