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IMDb > Blaze (1989)
Blaze
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Overview

User Rating:
5.6/10   1,801 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Blaze Starr (book) and
Huey Perry (book) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Blaze on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
13 December 1989 (USA) more
Genre:
Plot:
This movie tells the story of the latter years of Earl Long, a flamboyant governor of Louisiana. The aging Earl... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination more
User Reviews:
Earl K. Long 1895-1960 more (15 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Paul Newman ... Gov. Earl K. Long

Lolita Davidovich ... Blaze Starr
Jerry Hardin ... Thibodeaux
Gailard Sartain ... LaGrange
Jeffrey DeMunn ... Eldon Tuck
Garland Bunting ... Doc Ferriday

Richard Jenkins ... Picayune

Brandon Smith ... Arvin Deeter
Jay Chevalier ... Wiley Braden
Robert Wuhl ... Red Snyder
Michael Brockman ... Bobby

Eloy Casados ... Antoine

James Harper ... Willie Rainach
Teresa Gilmore ... Tamara Knight
Dianne Brill ... Delilah Dough
Blaze Starr ... Lily
Gilbert Lewis ... Rev. Marquez

Gary Anthony Sturgis ... Marquez' Son
Louanne Stephens ... Lora Fleming

Emily Warfield ... Debbie Fleming
Ben Cook ... Younger Brother

John P. Fertitta ... Hospital Director (as John Fertitta)
Harlan Jordan ... Dr. Cheeseborough
Rod Masterson ... Town Talk Reporter #1
Bill Dunleavy ... Town Talk Reporter #2
King Cotton ... Jimmie Davis
Mike Baer ... Secretary of Legislature
Bob Cherry ... Earls Crony
Sid Lacey ... Earls Crony
Harold G. Herthum ... Earls Crony
Fred Lewis ... Heckling Reporter (as Frederick F. Lewis)
Al Robinson ... Magnolia Local
Dick Person ... General Store Owner
Brooks Read ... Reporter in Store
Bill Mesman ... Rep. Davis
John A. Barber ... Rep. Hebert
Patrik Baldauff ... Rep. Kennon
Carey Rauhman Holliday ... Rep. Alexander
Robert Earle ... Rep. Elfin
Thomas Radcliffe Atkins ... Rep. Johnson
Thomas C. Smith-Alden ... Asylum Spokesman
Donald J. Lee Jr. ... Donut Shop Man
Pat Snow ... Johnnie Mae
George Wyatt ... Drunken Officer #1
Deano Thornton ... Drunken Officer #2
David R. Conly ... Drunken Sailor
Janet Shea ... Crony Wife #1
Glynn Rubin ... Crony Wife #2
Michael O'Neal ... Motorcycle Trooper
Michael Brooks ... Motorcycle Trooper
Stanley Hughes ... Motorcycle Trooper
Kevin Graham ... Motorcycle Trooper
Wendell Raybon ... Motorcycle Trooper
Brad Leland ... Dufee
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

Kevin Beard ... Businesman in Show Bar (uncredited)
Leonard Caples ... Barfly (uncredited)

Ann Dalrymple ... Stewardess (uncredited)

Jerry Leggio ... Photographer (uncredited)
Dave Petitjean ... Security Doorman (uncredited)
Mason Wood ... Reporter (uncredited)

Michael Wozniak ... Sailor (uncredited)
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Directed by
Ron Shelton 
 
Writing credits
(WGA)
Blaze Starr (book "Blaze Starr: My Life as Told to Huey Perry") and
Huey Perry (book "Blaze Starr: My Life as Told to Huey Perry")

Ron Shelton (screenplay)

Produced by
Gil Friesen .... producer
David V. Lester .... executive producer
Don Miller .... executive producer
Dale Pollock .... producer
 
Original Music by
Bennie Wallace 
 
Cinematography by
Haskell Wexler 
 
Film Editing by
Robert Leighton 
Michael King (uncredited)
 
Casting by
Victoria Thomas 
 
Production Design by
Armin Ganz 
 
Art Direction by
Edward Richardson 
Troy Sizemore 
 
Set Decoration by
Rosemary Brandenburg 
Michael Taylor  (as Michael J. Taylor)
 
Costume Design by
Ruth Myers 
 
Makeup Department
Judith A. Cory .... hair stylist (as Judith Alexander-Cory)
Stacy Kelly .... makeup artist (as Stacy Stewart Kelly)
Lisa Meyers .... hair stylist
James Ryder .... additional makeup artist
Christina Smith .... makeup artist
Monty Westmore .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
Penelope L. Foster .... unit production manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yudi Bennett .... first assistant director
Debra Kent .... second assistant director
Donald J. Lee Jr. .... second assistant director
David V. Lester .... second unit director
 
Art Department
Jay Fisher .... scenic artist
Harold Fuhrman .... set designer
Ricky Riggs .... scenic
Charles Stewart .... property master
Frank Hendrick .... set dresser (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Joe Dorn .... adr editor
Bruce Fortune .... sound editor
Kirk Francis .... sound mixer
Scott D. Jackson .... foley supervisor
Peggy Names .... sound utility
Jeffrey Perkins .... sound re-recording mixer
Solange S. Schwalbe .... foley supervisor
Michael G. Smith .... boom operator
Mychal Smith .... boom operator
Bruce Stambler .... supervising sound editor
Becky Sullivan .... supervising adr editor
Shawn Sykora .... foley editor
Richard E. Yawn .... sound editor
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Robert L. Blatman .... assistant camera
Douglas S. Holgate .... second assistant camera
Gary Holt .... gaffer
Michael Kelem .... aerial camera operator
Bob E. Krattiger .... best boy electric
Philip C. Pfeiffer .... director of photography: second unit
P. Scott Sakamoto .... first assistant camera
Bruce D. Spellman .... second grip
Stephen St. John .... camera operator
John Toll .... director of photography: second unit
Bill Young .... key grip
 
Casting Department
Dee Cothern .... extras casting
Matthew W. Davis .... casting assistant
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mitchell Ray Kenney .... set costumer
Linda Matthews .... costume supervisor
Mary Law Weir .... costumer
 
Editorial Department
Barbara Dunning .... assistant editor
Steven Nevius .... assistant editor (as Steve Nevius)
Adam Weiss .... assistant film editor
Michael King .... editor trainee (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Alan Edward Bell .... assistant music editor
Julie Giroux .... orchestrator
Wayne Peet .... composer: additional music cue
Scott Stambler .... music editor
 
Transportation Department
Ted Basso .... production van driver operator
Ron Bledsoe .... transportation
Steve Boyd .... transportation coordinator
Maxwell R. Johnson II .... transportation captain
Greg Van Dyke .... transportation coordinator
 
Other crew
Rory Enke .... location manager
Karen Golden .... script supervisor
Chris Hilsabeck .... production assistant
Patricia Serafina Madiedo .... locations key
Cynthia Quan .... production accountant
David Rome .... production assistant
Denyse Rossi .... payroll accountant
John Sclimenti .... production assistant
Spooky Stevens .... unit publicist
Lisbeth Wynn-Owen .... production coordinator
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc .... aerial coordinator
Marsha Zvonkin .... assistant accountant
 

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Additional Details

Runtime:
120 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Sound Mix:
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Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The year this film was shot there was an election in Louisiana. One of the items to vote on was bill that had many different state projects. It was defeated the same day the crew was filming the funeral scene overnight in the Capital Building in Baton Rouge. The crew had to leave before all the props could be removed, including the coffin. The defeated bill was laid in the coffin by someone before the next daily legislative session began. more
Quotes:
Earl Long: The three best friends the poor people have ever had are Jesus Christ, Sears & Roebuck and Earl K. Long. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Welcome to Hollywood (1998) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
7 out of 8 people found the following review useful.
Earl K. Long 1895-1960, 9 August 2007
7/10
Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

I'm happy the film Blaze came out if for no other reason than Earl Long finally got his place in film history beside his more famous brother Huey. Earl spent a lot more years in public office and maybe no man ever enjoyed just campaigning for office and the trappings thereof when elected.

I was a mere lad, but I do remember Earl's tumultuous and final term as Governor of Louisiana. The stuff you see here about Earl Long, the relationship with stripper Blaze Starr and the rest, was big news back in the day. One of the reasons that Earl could not do what George C. Wallace did was that Wallace had a most compliant first wife in Lurleen Wallace. One character we do not see here was his wife and later widow Blanche. Long was very much married at the time all of his antics were front page news, it was Blanche in fact who had him shipped to the funny farm.

Just as Blanche Long is eliminated from this story so is United States Senator Russell B. Long, son of Huey. Russell Long, who was barely the minimal 30 years old, was appointed by his uncle who happened to be Governor at the time to the U.S. Senate following the death of John H. Overton was still in the Senate when Uncle Earl's antics was big and embarrassing news. Russell Long served in the Senate for over 40 years and unlike his father and uncle became a most powerful Senator through his patient rise up the seniority ladder.

Even without Blanche and Russell, Earl Long's affair with Blaze Starr is the basis of a fine motion picture. Lolita Davidovitch is a warm and earthy Blaze Starr, a Loretta Lynn/Patsy Cline type from West Virginia without their talent. Still she might not have sung, but the woman had one fine figure. And when she pointed those glockenspiels of mass destruction at Earl Long, he was cooked. Imagine watermelon as an aphrodisiac?

Paul Newman does very well indeed as the irascible old governor just hanging on despite physical and mental problems. Today Earl Long might have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease or as some have speculated with bi-polar disorder. He might have been given the proper medication.

If Blaze has a fault and it's a big one, it's the lack of secondary character development. We don't really get to know about any of the other people in the Earl and Blaze story.

But we do get to know Earl and Blaze. And if Earl K. Long was indeed bi-polar and been given the proper medication, we might have never have had this story or this film.

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