PB Film

FILM FLASHBACK: BODY HEAT (1981) HONORING HAP ERSTEIN’S PB POST STORY

December marks the 45th anniversary of the filming of Body Heat in Lake Worth Beach, celebrating one of South Florida’s most iconic noir films and honoring the late Hap Erstein, the longtime movie critic for The Palm Beach Post, whose story first ran on December 24, 2000. Starring William Hurt and Kathleen Turner in her breakout role, the production rolled cameras during a real South Florida heat wave, director Lawrence Kasdan embraced the sweltering conditions, using the heat as a defining visual element.

Palm Beach County locations played key roles, including Lake Worth City Hall, Bryant Park, and a vacant storefront transformed into the Stella’s Diner. Produced on a $9 million budget, Body Heat grossed approximately $24 million domestically, securing its place in the County’s cinematic legacy.