by Michael Lyons
"Forget about frying an egg on the sidewalk; this kind of heat would fry an egg inside the chicken." — Chill Factor by Rachel Caine.
Yup. It's been another hot and steamy summer. no matter where you live. Once again, it seems as if no one is safe from those dreaded "three H's": Hot, Hazy, and Humid.
To that, add another "H," for Hollywood. Through the years, filmmakers have used heat waves as the backdrop for many films.
During the heat of summer 2022, I wrote about some of them (Steamy Cinema Part I), and as we see a weather rerun this year, it seemed like an appropriate time to take a look back as some other examples of "Steamy Cinema."
The Naked City (1948)
Set during a sweltering summer in the city, a woman is found drowned in her Manhattan bathtub, and a veteran homicide detective, Lt. Dan Muldoon (Barry Fitzgerald), and his young partner, Det. Jimmy Halloran (Don Taylor), lead the investigation through New York's crowded streets and tenements.
The film is a fascinating look at what a hot New York summer actually looked, sounded, and felt like during another era, as it was filmed on location in the city in 1947. The Naked City is set against a backdrop of apartment windows open for air, residents out on stoops, and a city living outdoors during the summer months in a way that changed considerably once air conditioning became part of our lives.
The Window (1949)
Another murder mystery, set against the backdrop of summers of another time in New York City.
Nine-year-old Tommy Woodry, a boy who "cries wolf" quite a bit with his wild stories, decides to sleep on his family's fire escape one hot summer night to escape the heat and winds up witnessing his upstairs neighbors murder a man in their apartment.
Tommy is portrayed by child star Bobby Driscoll, who was loaned to RKO by Walt Disney (as the opening titles inform us), and his innocence in the film is a fascinating juxtaposition to the dark plot. Plus, realizing that sleeping on fire escapes in summer was once "a thing" is mind-blowing in today's world.
Soylent Green (1973)
This iconic science-fiction film is set in a dystopian New York City "future" of 2022, which is now overpopulated, resource-depleted, and, thanks to years of ruining the environment, trapped in a perpetual heatwave.
Charlton Heston portrays a police detective who, thanks to help from his friend (played by Edward G. Robinson, in his final film role), uncovers an awful secret that the government has been hiding...revealed in one of the most shocking endings and lines of dialogue in film history.
Weekend at Bernie's (1989)
Yes, it's the famed black comedy from the 80s, where two low-level insurance employees (Jonathan Silverman and Andrew McCarthy) discover financial fraud being committed by their boss, Bernie Lomax (Terry Kiser). They're invited to his Hamptons beach house for what they think is a reward — only to find Bernie murdered by the mob associates. Fearing they'll be blamed for the murder, the two decide to prop up Bernie's corpse and pretend he's still alive.
While the majority of the film, set over Labor Day Weekend, is set in the Hamptons (and filmed in the Carolinas), the film begins in the stifling heat of New York City (once again). Unrealistic, ghoulish and, yes, funny. It's no wonder it's become a cult classic.
Barton Fink (1991)
The Coen Brothers' bizarre tale of the title character, an idealistic New York playwright who accepts a Hollywood Studio offer to write a screenplay. He takes up residence to the shabby Hotel Earle to work, where he develops writer's block, in the odd hotel that includes residents like his neighbor, a traveling insurance salesman (John Goodman).
The heatwave in Barton Fink only adds to the oppressive feeling of the film, as the title character seems to descend into a Hell that he's created.
Falling Down (1993)
A recently laid-off defense engineer (Michael Douglas) snaps and abandons his car in Los Angeles traffic, in the middle of a heatwave, determined to walk across the city to reach his estranged ex-wife's house in time for his young daughter's birthday party.
Like the Coen Brothers, director Joel Schumacher sets this story against a heat wave, as a metaphor for the main character and society reaching a boiling point. This is an underrated 90s gem that's still relevant today.
Just a few of the many heat wave movies out there. So, stay in, turning the air conditioner up - WAY up- and enjoy one or all of these Hollywood heat wave films.
Stay cool, everyone...and remember this article when we are all complaining about the cold in six months!
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