Blaze is a 1989 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Ron Shelton. Based on the 1974 memoir Blaze Starr: My Life as Told to Huey Perry by Blaze Starr and Huey Perry, the film stars Paul Newman as Earl Long and Lolita Davidovich as Blaze Starr, with Starr herself making a cameo appearance.
Blaze | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Ron Shelton |
Screenplay by | Ron Shelton |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Haskell Wexler |
Edited by | Robert Leighton Michael King |
Music by | Bennie Wallace |
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Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution |
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Running time | 120 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $22 million[1] |
Box office | $19,131,246 |
At the 62nd Academy Awards in 1990, the film then received a nomination for Best Cinematography for Haskell Wexler. However, the award went to Freddie Francis for Glory. This was Wexler's fifth and final nomination, having won previously for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and Bound for Glory (1976).
![]() | This article needs an improved plot summary. (November 2015) |
The film tells the highly fictionalized story of the latter years of Earl Long, a flamboyant Governor of Louisiana, brother of assassinated governor and U.S. Senator Huey P. Long and uncle of longtime U.S. Senator Russell Long. According to the novel and film, Earl Long allegedly fell in love with a young stripper named Blaze Starr.
The film received mixed reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 73% of 11 critics' reviews are positive.[2][3][4] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B+" on scale of A to F.[5][6]
Blaze debuted at number 9 at the North American box office on its opening weekend.[7]
More significantly, 71% of the audience for “Blaze” was over 35.
Films directed by Ron Shelton | |
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