Blaze

The scandalous love affair that was going on between Louisiana governor Earl Long (Paul Newman) and * Blaze Starr (Lolita Davidovich) is poorly dramatized in this rather slow moving 1989 Touchstone release. A good cast certainly tries hard but can't save this film from being a downer in the world of biopics.

Watermelon and cowboy boots! One of the best scenes in the movie! Well, there ARE other good scenes! I think I remember a scene where Blaze is on stage stripping, and she places a flower in her cleavage and asks the crowd if they want to go pick flowers in her hills...Something like that.

It's 1950. A young woman (Lolita Davidovich) leaves her rural West Virginian childhood home with a guitar and hopes for a singing career. Burlesque club owner Red Snyder finds her working at a diner. He pushes her to perform more risqué and she runs away from the sleazy promoter. She ends up in New Orleans performing under the name Blaze Starr where she catches the eye of flamboyant Governor of Louisiana Earl Long (Paul Newman). Paul Newman is really chewing up this role. Lolita Davidovich is a fiery redhead. These are great characters. The story and how it's played out isn't the most compelling. This needs more tension in the drama. Earl is a wild character but he's not particularly funny. These are good performances but the drama could be more intense. It's a bit too long and has a bit too much filler.

Blaze is set in a redneck Louisiana milieu of strippers and larger than life politicians. I watched this mainly for Lolita Davidovich. She plays a * who falls in love with a rambunctious progressive politician played by Paul Newman. The film deserved a better director than Ron Shelton who gives the material a routine treatment. Shorn of too many directorial flourishes, it is left to Lolita and Newman to shore up the film and they do a pretty good job. Lolita looks gorgeous in this. One of the prettiest and most adorable redneck women ever.

As a son of Louisiana, I know the history very well (like others from here). Lolita Davidovich steals the show as Blaze Starr. An underrated film; also, a must see.

Spoiler I never knew of Bill Cliton, before he was president, but the scandals, and how he deals with the press reminds me of this movie. It is a laugh how Newman can play a nut. I like the scenes where he shoots the lawn mower, and how he gets out of the mental hospital. This liberal minded, womenizing politician reminds me of a car salesmen. Must Rent 8/10

"Blaze" tells of the lives of Blaze Starr (Davidovich), * and consort of Earl Long (Newman), the fire breathing eccentric governor of the state of Louisiana during the 50's. Shelton manages to make a moderately interesting film from the marginally interesting lives of Starr and Long although there is evidence of a struggle in the lack of substance in the film for two strange bedfellows whose accomplishments where less than notable and who themselves were little more than colorful. A good film with solid performances by the principals which will most likely be enjoyed by fans of the stars or those with an interest in Louisiana political history. Footnote: Earl K. Long should not be confused with his older and more flamboyant brother also governor of Louisiana, Huey P. Long, who was assassinated.

This was one of the few times that Ron Shelton made a movie that didn't deal with sports and he did a pretty good job. Paul Newman plays the democratic governor of Louisiana and he has an election coming up but can't run for governor again, so he has a friend of his run for governor and Newman will run as lieutenant governor and right after the election the friend will step down and Newman will become governor. Lolita Davidovich plays a big time * who at first is suspicious of Newman when he comes on to her but the wind up falling in love. This is set in the late 50s and is down south and since segregation is a big issue Newman's rivals will use it against him in the election. It doesn't help when Newman is having an affair with a * and supports civil rights for black people. This is a really good film about politics and also turns out to be a good romance.