Bruce Willis wasn’t always a household name. In the early eighties, he was plucked from obscurity to star opposite Cybill Shepherd on TV’s Moonlighting. The show propelled him to small-screen stardom, and soon the big-screen came calling, with his first movie role being the lead in Blake Edwards’ Blind Date. A romantic comedy co-starring Kim Basinger, the fact that the movie was a solid financial hit offered Hollywood the first clue that big-screen stardom was inevitable for the wisecracking Willis. His status as a Hollywood legend was established the following year when Die Hard hit theatres and became a blockbuster.
In 1987’s Blind Date, Bruce Willis plays a mild-mannered ad executive left dateless for a big dinner his company is planning with a Japanese client. His brother, played by Phil Hartman, sets him up with Basinger’s character, who’s such a knockout that Willis can’t believe his luck when they meet. But, it turns out there’s more to her than meets the eye as, whenever she ingests alcohol, she goes crazy – literally. She’s also got an insane ex (John Larroquette) who chases them around, and soon Willis ends up jobless, in jail, and half-crazed. But, alas, this is a Hollywood romantic comedy, so there’s a happy ending to all of this slapstick.
While a decent-sized hit, Blind Date is relatively obscure as far as Bruce Willis movies go, mainly because it’s a zany comedy rather than an action flick, which the iconic actor would become better known for. With the recent news that Willis was retiring from acting due to his health, now is an excellent time to revisit his first significant movie role in this week’s Best Movie You Never Saw, which is written by Alex Maidy, edited by Edward Clark, and narrated by Chris Bumbray, who also produces with Adam Walton.
Have you ever seen Blind Date? Let us know in the comments!
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