City Heat (1984)

Director:

Richard Benjamin

Writers:

Blake Edwards (story)
Blake Edwards (writer) ...

Release Date:

7 December 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy

Tagline:

Take Clint the street-smart cop . . . take Burt the wise-guy private eye . . . and then take cover!

Plot:

A slick private eye and tough police lieutenant--once partners, now bitter enemies--reluctantly team up to investigate a murder.

Plot Keywords:

1930s | Car Explosion | Spilled Coffee | Shot Multiple Times | Cadillac

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Lieutenant Speer
Burt Reynolds	...	Mike Murphy
Jane Alexander	...	Addy
Madeline Kahn	...	Caroline Howley
Rip Torn	...	Primo Pitt
Irene Cara	...	Ginny Lee
Richard Roundtree	...	Dehl Swift
Tony Lo Bianco	...	Leon Coll
William Sanderson	...	Lonnie Ash
Nicholas Worth	...	Troy Roker
Robert Davi	...	Nino
Jude Farese	...	Dub Slack
John Hancock	...	Fat Freddy
Jack Thibeau	...	Garage Soldier
Gerald S. O'Loughlin	...	Counterman Louie

Also Known As:

Kansas City Jazz (USA) (original script title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Spain:13 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | USA:PG (certificate #27552) | Netherlands:12 | West Germany:16 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1985) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Singapore:PG

Company:

Malpaso Company, The

Trivia:

Marsha Mason was originally cast as Addy but left the film due to creative differences.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: This first time Murphy (Burt Reynolds) visits his apartment, he switches on his 1930s era radio, which instantly begins playing music, as a modern one would. This is incorrect - a radio of that era contained vacuum tubes, and it would have taken the radio several minutes to "warm up" before any music could be heard.

Quotes:

Lt. Speer: And just what were you gonna do after the bomb went off?
Mike Murphy: Gee, I don't know, Ollie.

Movie Connections:

Features Horse Feathers (1932)

Soundtrack:

I Found a Million Dollar Baby (in a Five and Ten Cent Store)

Were Our Expectations Too High? Certainly, But With Reason

I remember a lot of people, not just me, being disappointed in this film. With Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood in the starring roles, we all excepted a really entertaining, good movie. All the publicity made us even more anxious to see it. Well, it never lived up to the hype. I don't know anyone who left the theater satisfied when this was over.

This points out an important fact: screen writing is more important than the cast. You can have two charismatic actors, as we have here who are big box-office draws, but if the script stinks the movie is going to be a flop. I don't blame Reynolds or Eastwood. They didn't write this story which is dismal, makes no sense in a few parts (disjointed) and simply is not entertaining. It's pretty hard to have two stars, a good premise, the 1930s as a backdrop, and still have a unlikeable movie!

To be fair, part of the problem was the expectation. It obviously was too high for this film, which didn't deliver to meet everyone's high expectations. Maybe if you've never seen and keep your expectations low, you'll enjoy it. And - if for no other reason - it's still interesting to see those guys star in the same film.