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Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Body Heat - A Tribute to William Hurt

This weekend brought sad news that we lost a great American actor

“It is with great sadness that the Hurt family mourns the passing of William Hurt, beloved father and Oscar winning actor, on March 13, 2022, one week before his 72nd birthday,” his son wrote. “He died peacefully, among family, of natural causes...." 

William Hurt, an Oscar winner for Kiss of the Spider Woman who often played a quiet intellectual in his early acting roles but later took more strident turns in science fiction and Marvel films, died today, a week before his 72nd birthday. 

In pictures: William Hurt's 40 years of films


Kathleen Turner and William Hurt 
Body Heat 1981

Hurt and Kathleen Turner stared in one of my absolute favorite movies.  The year 1981 and I was on a business trip in Texas.  Watching a purchased movie in my hotel room was something I almost never did. However,  I was bored that evening and rented "Body Heat".  Sounded interesting; billed as an erotic thriller.  

That it was. The chemistry between Turner and Hurt, well, was HOT.  What made it interesting was it was mostly filmed in Lake Worth, next town below Palm Beach, with scenes at a home in Manalapan that I knew.  Many of the places I recognized including the Lake Worth Pier. 

There were many scenes that talked about the South Florida summer heat. Turner and Hurt cooled down the best way they could including a bath tub scene with ice.  Unforgettable!      

There are several lines from the movie that are unforgettable as well - Matty Walker to Ned: "You aren't too bright. I like that in a man."  At the end Ned finally got the full understanding of what has happen and he describes Matty as "Relentless".  

The film launched Turner's and Hurt's career. Also many others including Ted Danson and Mickey Rourke.  Empire magazine cited the film in 1995 and named Turner as one of the "100 Sexiest Stars in Film History.  In my book #1.

Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 98% approval rating based on 42 reviews, and an average rating of 8.10/10. The site's consensus states, "Made from classic noir ingredients and flavored with a heaping helping of steamy modern spice, Body Heat more than lives up to its evocative title".

William Hurt will be missed as an actor, who had a remarkable career and remained active up until the end. For me he will always be the unforgettable "I finally figured it out in the end", Ned Racine. 

The movie also had a haunting sound track by John Barry that I enjoy from time-to-time.  



JOHN BARRY 'Body Heat' Original Main Title 1981

1 comment:

  1. Hurt was a good actor , although I don't think that Marlee Matlin was a big fan of his .....

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