City Heat – Der Bulle und der Schnüffler (1984)

City Heat – Der Bulle und der Schnüffler: Directed by Richard Benjamin. With Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, Jane Alexander, Madeline Kahn. Slick Private Investigator Mike Murphy (Burt Reynolds) and tough Police Lieutenant Speer (Clint Eastwood), once partners, now bitter enemies, reluctantly team up to investigate a murder.

“By most accounts, Clint Eastwood hijacked his long-awaited teaming with fellow superstar Burt Reynolds and the credits bear this out. After showing writer-director Blake Edwards the door, Eastwood recruited the more malleable Richard Benjamin to direct (in his autobiography, Reynolds said Benjamin was u0026quot;terrifiedu0026quot; of Eastwood), ordered Edwardsu0026#39; script be given a rewrite by Joseph Stinson whose only other credit was the previous yearu0026#39;s Dirty Harry film, u0026quot;Sudden Impact,u0026quot; brought in key players from his Malpaso crew (notably Fritz Manes as producer and Lennie Niehaus as composer), and even dumped Edwardsu0026#39; title, u0026quot;Kansas City Jazz,u0026quot; in favor of the equally imaginative (Iu0026#39;m kidding) u0026quot;City Heat.u0026quot;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDespite Dirty Harryu0026#39;s takeover, u0026quot;City Heatu0026quot; emerges as a showcase for Reynolds. He has the most screen time and the zippiest dialogue, but playing against a typically wooden Eastwood also heightens the opportunity for Reynolds to reap laughs with his more extroverted approach. The contrast between the two is very entertaining.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCritics were quick to dismiss this Christmas 1984 release as a bomb which it certainly appeared to be beside the Eddie Murphy blockbuster, u0026quot;Beverly Hills Cop,u0026quot; in release at the same time. It is disappointing (Edwards would likely have given it more class), but by no means a dud. It breezes along at a comfortable pace, mixes its laughs evenly with action, and should make for a satisfying indulgence for fans of the two stars.”