Body Heat (1981)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Lawrence Kasdan

Writer:

Lawrence Kasdan (written by)

Release Date:

28 August 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

It's a hot summer. Ned Racine is waiting for something special to happen. And when it does... He won't be ready for the consequences.

Plot:

In the midst of a searing Florida heat wave, a woman convinces her lover, a small-town lawyer, to murder her rich husband.

Plot Keywords:

Lawyer | Florida | Murder | Bar | Wind Chime

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 nominations

Cast

William Hurt	...	Ned Racine
Kathleen Turner	...	Matty Walker
Richard Crenna	...	Edmund Walker
Ted Danson	...	Peter Lowenstein
J.A. Preston	...	Oscar Grace
Mickey Rourke	...	Teddy Lewis
Kim Zimmer	...	Mary Ann
Jane Hallaren	...	Stella
Lanna Saunders	...	Roz Kraft
Carola McGuinness	...	Heather Kraft
Michael Ryan	...	Miles Hardin
Larry Marko	...	Judge Costanza
Deborah Lucchesi	...	Beverly
Lynn Hallowell	...	Angela
Thom Sharp	...	Michael Glenn (as Thom J. Sharp)
Ruth Thom	...	Mrs. Singer
Diane Lewis	...	Glenda
Robert Traynor	...	Prison Trustee
Meg Kasdan	...	Nurse
Ruth P. Strahan	...	Betty the Housekeeper
Filomena Triscari	...	Hostess at Tulio's
Bruce A. Lee	...	Man on Beach
Ramiro Velasco	...	Cuban Trio
Tomas Choy	...	Cuban Trio
Servio T. Moreno	...	Cuban Trio

Directed by
Lawrence Kasdan

Writing credits
Lawrence Kasdan		(written by)

Produced by
Fred T. Gallo	....	producer
Robert Grand	....	associate producer
George Lucas	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Barry		(music composed by)

Cinematography by
Richard H. Kline		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Carol Littleton

Casting by
Wallis Nicita		(as Wally Nicita)

Production Design by
Bill Kenney

Set Decoration by
Rick Gentz		(as Rick T. Gentz)

Costume Design by
Renié		(as Renie Conley)

Makeup Department
Robert Sidell	....	makeup artist (as Robert A. Sidell)
Adele Taylor	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Robert Grand	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jeffrey Chernov	....	second assistant director
Michael Grillo	....	first assistant director
Bruce Humphrey	....	directors guild trainee

Art Department
Robert L. Anderson	....	construction coordinator
Dennis Butterworth	....	greens foreman
Ray Jarvis	....	stand-by painter
Richard McKenzie	....	set designer
Robert Planck	....	leadman
Sig Tingloff	....	set designer (as Sig Tinglof)
Sonny Van Hecke	....	assistant property master
Robert J. Visciglia Sr.	....	property master (as Robert Visciglia Sr.)
Doug Wilson	....	paint foreman
Joseph Musso	....	production illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jim Cook	....	re-recording mixer (as James Cook)
Patrick Drummond	....	sound editor
Robert Grieve	....	sound editor
Maury Harris	....	production sound mixer
Chris Jenkins	....	re-recording mixer (as Christopher Jenkins)
Richard Portman	....	re-recording mixer
David Sanucci	....	boom man

Special Effects by
Hal Bigger	....	special effects man
Howard Jensen	....	special effects supervisor

Stunts
William H. Burton	....	stunt coordinator (as Bill Burton)
Steven Chambers	....	stuntman (as Steve Chambers)
Gary Combs	....	stuntman
James M. Halty	....	stuntman (as Jim Halty)
Ron Stein	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Albert Bettcher	....	camera operator
Eric Engler	....	camera assistant
Larry D. Howard	....	gaffer
Pat King	....	second grip
Michael McGowan	....	camera operator
John Monte	....	still photographer
Ted Morris	....	electrical best boy
Ron Phillips	....	still photographer
Robert Sordal	....	key grip
William Tobin	....	camera assistant (as Bill Tobin)
Robert A. Wise	....	camera assistant

Casting Department
Pearl Kempton	....	extras casting
Deborah Lucchesi	....	casting coordinator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Winnie D. Brown	....	costumer (as Winnie Brown)
Barbara Siebert	....	costume supervisor (as Barbara Siebert Bolticoff)

Editorial Department
Bruce Cannon	....	second assistant editor
Mia Goldman	....	assistant editor
Robert Raring	....	color timer

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
Cliff Kohlweck	....	music editor (as Clifford C. Kohlweck)
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer

Transportation Department
James Antúnez	....	transportation coordinator (as James Antunez)
Michael Antunez	....	transportation captain
Sam Segal	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Pamela Alch	....	script supervisor
Celeste Angiolillo	....	assistant: Mr. Kasdan
Lynne Birdt	....	production coordinator
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Mark Indig	....	location manager: Florida
Art Schaeffer	....	production accountant (as Art Schaefer)
Daniel Schneider	....	location manager
Peter J. Silbermann	....	unit publicist (as Peter Silbermann)
Bernard S. Styles	....	production assistant
Tad Tadlock	....	choreographer
Jim Bigham	....	location manager (uncredited)
Bundy Chanock	....	set medic (uncredited)
Shawn McAllister	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Ladd Company, The

Distributors

• Ladd Company, The (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1984) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (1982) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (1999) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (1999) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Warner Bros. (1999) (Argentina) (all media)
• Warner Home Video (video)
• Warner Home Vídeo (1999) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• City of Lake Worth  the producers wish to thank for their cooperation in the making of this picture
• Creative Mobile Studio  location equipment by (as Creative Mobile Studios)
• Production Payments  production services
• State of Florida  the producers wish to thank for their cooperation in the making of this picture

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M (original rating) | Singapore:M18 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:R16 | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (PCA #26275) | West Germany:18 | Ireland:18 | UK:X (original rating) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Delray Beach, Florida, USA

Company:

Ladd Company, The

Trivia:

Christopher Reeve was offered the lead but turned it down after saying, "I didn't think I would be convincing as a seedy lawyer."

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Heather is picked up after her stay at Matty's house, the boom operator is reflected on the car.

Quotes:

Ned: How's the cop business, Oscar?
Oscar: Real good. Always starts hopping in weather like this. When it gets this hot, people try to kill each other.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Best of Film Noir (1999) (V)

Soundtrack:

Feel Like a Number

Breaking the Code

I remember watching the John Garfield and Lana Turner film noir classic `The Postman Always Rings Twice' with my mother when I was little. After the couple murdered Turner's husband, mom turned to me and said, `Watch. The two killers will be punished in the end.' `Why?' I asked. `It's the movie code,' she explained: Evil-doers must be punished."

While I'm not a fan of the sex and language direction that films have taken since the movie code died, part of the fun in watching `Body Heat' is knowing that there is a chance that either or both William Hurt and Kathleen Turner will get by with killing Turner's husband, played by Richard Crenna.

`Body Heat' is almost as good as `Double Indemnity,' which is considered by many to be best of the man-teams-with-woman-to-kill-her-husband genre. In `Indemnity' part of the fun is watching the Fred MacMurray character trying to outsmart his friend and mentor, played by Edward G. Robinson. In "Heat" Hurt has two friends he must deceive, cop J.A. Preston and a pre-`Cheers' assistant prosecutor Ted Danson. Try to figure out at what point they know Hurt is guilty.

The performances in `Body Heat' are excellent. In addition to Hurt, Turner, Crenna, Danson and Preston, this was Mickey Roarke's break-through role. Lawrence Kasden, who doesn't waste a shot, expertly directs the film. A great musical score by John Barry of James Bond composing fame expertly aids the steamy mood.