City Heat Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

Two guys, one short, one tall, really REALLY don’t want to hang out, but crime stuff happens and now they do, in hats!

🍿 City Heat: Detailed Plot Synopsis

Kansas City, 1933: A City Divided

In the midst of Prohibition-era Kansas City, mobsters rule the streets. Leon Coll is the established boss, but Primo Pitt is hungry to take his place, setting the stage for a brutal power struggle. Amidst this chaos, we meet Mike Murphy, a private investigator and former cop, and Lieutenant Speer, his ex-partner, setting the stage for conflicting loyalties and simmering tensions.

A Blackmail Scheme Gone Wrong

Murphy’s partner, Dehl Swift, gets caught up in a dangerous game. Dehl plans to double-cross both Coll and Pitt. However, this backfires when he’s murdered, leaving a set of incriminating ledgers up for grabs and both gangs eager to retrieve them. This forces Murphy and Speer to reluctantly team up.

Hostages and Explosions

As Murphy and Speer investigate, their loved ones become targets. Pitt’s men kidnap Murphy’s girlfriend, Caroline, while Coll’s men seize Speer’s love interest, Addy. The climax involves a trade-off: the ledgers for the hostages. Murphy tricks Coll by handing over a case filled with explosives, eliminating the rival gang in a fiery explosion.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Lt. Speer (Clint Eastwood): A tough and stoic police lieutenant who reluctantly partners with his former colleague to fight crime in 1930s Kansas City.
• Mike Murphy (Burt Reynolds): A slick and wisecracking private investigator who teams up with his former partner to solve a murder and stop a mob war.
• Addy (Jane Alexander): Mike Murphy’s intelligent and loyal secretary, who becomes romantically involved with Lieutenant Speer.
• Caroline Howley (Madeline Kahn): Mike Murphy’s wealthy and somewhat ditzy girlfriend who is kidnapped by a rival mob boss.
• Primo Pitt (Rip Torn): A ruthless and ambitious mob boss determined to take control of Kansas City’s criminal underworld.
• Leon Coll (Tony Lo Bianco): The established crime boss whose secret accounting records become the target of a blackmail plot and a mob war.
• Ginny Lee (Irene Cara): Dehl Swift’s girlfriend and a singer who finds herself caught in the middle of a dangerous conflict between mob factions.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Lt. Speer: “What a relief. I thought I must be going deaf.” – Speer says this sarcastically after entering Murphy’s office without knocking, highlighting their strained relationship.
• Mike Murphy: “You’ll always be shorty to me.” – A recurring joke throughout the movie, poking fun at Burt Reynolds’ height in comparison to Clint Eastwood.
• Lt. Speer: “You shouldn’t lay in the street. You might get hit by a train.” – Said with Eastwood’s trademark deadpan delivery to a mobster lying injured in the street, showcasing his stoic persona.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $25,000,000
• Domestic Gross: $38,348,988
• Worldwide Gross: $38,348,988

💥 City Heat Reviews

Personal Review

I went into this movie expecting a fun, buddy-cop romp, but I was left feeling a bit underwhelmed. While it’s neat seeing Eastwood and Reynolds together, the chemistry just wasn’t there. I did chuckle at a few moments, especially during the opening diner scene. The 1930s setting was cool, but the plot felt convoluted and didn’t quite click. Honestly, I’m not sure I’d watch it again.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of classic crime dramas and neo-noir”
  • “Viewers interested in buddy-cop movies with comedic elements”
  • “Admirers of Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds”
  • “Those interested in 1930s period pieces”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Violence and gunfights”
  • “Mild language”
  • “Some thematic elements involving crime and corruption”

Professional Reviews

• Collider.com: “”City Heat” has a huge identity crisis. Reynolds is playing a character from a comedy and Eastwood playing a character from a serious action movie. It is an interesting mix but not always seamless, with the result that the film never quite knows what it wants to be.
• Rotten Tomatoes: “Despite the star power of Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds, “City Heat” fails to generate much excitement or humor, resulting in a lukewarm action-comedy that falls flat.
• MovieWeb: “A critical and commercial failure, City Heat teamed up two of the biggest movie stars in a whodunit set in the 1930s, but could never deliver on the premise.

Audience Reactions

The initial diner scene offered a glimpse of the potential the movie had with witty banter and engaging action.: Some viewers enjoyed seeing Eastwood and Reynolds on screen together, despite the film’s shortcomings.

Overall Consensus: “City Heat” is generally considered a disappointment, failing to live up to the expectations set by its star-studded cast and struggling to find a consistent tone.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “Blake Edwards originally wrote the script and was set to direct, but he left the project due to creative differences, leading to Richard Benjamin taking over as director.”
• “Burt Reynolds suffered a broken jaw during filming when he was struck by a metal chair during a fight scene, leading to a liquid diet and significant weight loss.”
• “The film’s title was changed from ‘Kansas City Jazz’ to ‘City Heat’ after Clint Eastwood took more control over the production.”

🖥️ How to Watch City Heat?

City Heat can be rented or purchased on various platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play. Check your local listings for availability on streaming services such as Paramount+ or for cable on-demand options.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed City Heat, you might like these similar films:

• 48 Hrs. (1982): Features a mismatched buddy cop pairing with action and comedy elements.
• The Untouchables (1987): A crime drama set in the Prohibition era that combines action and suspense.
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988): Blends live-action with animation in a noir-inspired mystery, offering a unique take on the genre.
• Lethal Weapon (1987): Another buddy cop movie with action and humor.

🛒 City Heat Related Products

• Clint Eastwood: A Life in Pictures: A biography exploring Clint Eastwood’s life and career, perfect for fans wanting to delve deeper into the actor’s cinematic journey.
• Burt Reynolds: An Autobiography: An autobiography written by Burt Reynolds himself, reliving his life, and his experiences, thoughts, and feelings about making a movie like City Heat.
• 1930s Gangster Costume: A complete 1930s gangster costume, including pinstripe suit, fedora, and accessories. Perfect for themed parties or cosplay.
• Tommy Gun Toy: A replica tommy gun toy for those who want to emulate the mobsters from the film, without harming anyone.

🎧 Soundtrack

City Heat features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “City Heat” – performed by Joe Williams

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

Rewind: Burt Reynolds on day he & Clint Eastwood were fired by Universal

Ever wonder what it was like for Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood early in their careers? Reynolds tells a hilarious story about getting fired from Universal on the same day as Eastwood and how they later negotiated top billing for ‘City Heat’ – it’s a wild ride!

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