Meeks is killed by dudley smith, and the 18 pounds of heroin meeks stole from a jack dragna mickey cohen truce meeting is. That scene where dudley smith is talking to buzz meeks but in his interior monologue he states that hes going to kill him in 1946 is great je. The sun shines bright, the beaches are wide and inviting, and the orange groves stretch as far as the eye can see. Rich developer, pierce patchett, runs a stable of highclass hookers who are ringers for movie stars. Ed is seeing inez but sleeping with lynn, while bud is seeing lynn but sleeping with inez, not to mention the everpresent ho yayfoe yay between bud and ed. The book gives us a love dodecahedron between ed, bud, lynn, and inez soto. I admire you as a policeman, particularly your adherence to violence as a necessary adjunct to the job. The title refers to the 1950s scandal magazine confidential, portrayed in the film as hushhush. Over the opening strains of i love you, california, a montage. Savvy, backslapping lapd captain and vicious thug wrapped in one folksy package. Ed is seeing inez but sleeping with lynn, while bud is seeing lynn but sleeping with inez, not to mention the everpresent ho yay foe yay between bud and ed.
Confidential title, meaning the confidential elements of the cases and all the happenings in the story. November 01, 2007 dont ever try to fucking bribe me or ill have you and patchett in shit up to your ears. Ellroy had no reason to make dudley smiths villainy a latebreaking reveal, as the character had committed crimes aplenty in the big nowhere, an earlier book. Confidential, a gravely concerned captain dudley smith. Dudley smith decides who rises and who falls in the police department. He rejects captain dudley smiths advice that a detective should beat a confession out of a suspect or shoot him in the back for the greater good.
Its captain dudley smith who controls the dirty racket in l. The city couldnt ever admit to the public that they had been in effect infiltrated completely by a criminal. Captain dudley liam smith is the main antagonist of james ellroys neonoir novel series known as the l. Confidential still dares you to find a film more stylish and evocative. The late curtis hanson staged a murder scene for the ages. The captain of the police, dudley smith james cromwell, is looking to keep the peace in the city of angels as outside criminal elements are looking to fill the void from mickey cohen going to. Quartet, as well as the 1997 crimethriller hit film l. But none is prepared for the maelstrom that awaits them. Did they make it out to look like the police captain dudley smith was a hero. By this time, his personal rivalry with fellow lapd captain edmund exley. Confidential script at the internet movie script database. Confidential 1997 james cromwell as dudley smith imdb. This thesis will focus on detective ed exley guy pearce. But none will be prepared for the maelstrom that awaits them.
Detectives and rookie officers alike grovel at dudleys feet and listen to his every word, including his belief that it is best to shoot a guilty man in the back if it serves the greater good. His captain, dudley smith james cromwell, kindly explains that an officer must be prepared to lie, cheat and stealall in the name, of course, of being sure the guilty go to jail. Having been personally responsible for the infamous sleepy lagoon murder out of racism, dudley is also heavily involved in crime, clandestinely manipulating and dealing with multiple crime families. Captain smith spouts some of the films most memorable lines, such as go back to jersey, sonny. This is the city of the angels, and you havent got any wings. Captain dudley smith is a fictional character and the hidden main antagonist of the 1997 epic. Confidential, jack vincennes tells bud white and edmund. Confidential is epic noir, a crime novel of astonishing detail and scope written by the bestselling author of the black dahlia. Dudley smith is in each, hence the title of the whole.
Confidential is a 1997 american neonoir crime film directed, produced and cowritten by. Theres a disneyesque character that was left out of the movie altogether. This is the city of the angels, and you havent got any wings, and dont start trying to do the right thing, boyo. Three of james ellroys most gripping crime novels featuring lieutenant dudley smith in one volume. Dudley liam smith is a character who appears in james ellroys first l. Captain dudley liam smith is the main antagonist of james ellroys neonoir. A three men are drawn into the shadow of communist witch hunts and violent killings that force each one to confront his own personal darkness. Confidential will represent exley as a police officer who understands the hierarchal authoritative system and. Six prisoners are beaten senseless in their cells by cops crazed on alcohol. Confidential is hansons masterpiece, a legit classic.
A horrific mass murder invades the lives of victims and victimizers on both sides of the law. Exley is standing beside him sergeant vincennes was killed by a. Confidential is a 1997 american neonoir crime film directed, produced and cowritten by curtis hanson. Did captain dudley smith kill lieutenant edmund exleys father. Dudley is one of the four main protagonists of perfidia, and he plays a major role in the story arc of the first quartet.
Confidential serves as a perfect example of how to a change and adapt a book into a film with great effect, b produce and script an authentic and evocative motion picture, capturing the. It works as a clue that points exley in smiths direction, since jack knew smith would inevitably question someone. The film tells the story of a group of lapd officers in 1953, and the intersection of police corruption and hollywood celebrity. Doubles as a wham moment since it also reveals that captain smith is the big bad.
It was in this book that the extent of his personal corruption. Ed is an ambitious careerist who wants to do everything by the book. Exley and smith have a drink in honor of preston exley who was edmund exleys father. The screenplay by hanson and brian helgeland is based on james ellroys 1990 novel of the same name, the third book in his l. Based on james ellroys novel, this movie gives us all the things we. After being fatally shot by dudley smith, jack says rollo tomasi, a name that only he and exley know. Confidential, which is based on the third novel of the same name. The moniker obviously is also a reference to the l. Although he was found in echo park, preliminary forensics indicates his body was most likely moved. The story begins on february 21, 1950, when buzz meeks is found at an abandoned auto court where he is hiding out. Confidential, captain dudley smith james cromwell introduces a newspaper reporter to edmund exley guy pearce and explains to the reporter i was fortunate enough to be partnered with his father when i was a rookie. Dudley smith james cromwell is the head of the lapd and is loyal to his officers and eager to turn a blind eye to violence or corruption within his department, as long as its the bad guys who. And he shoots captain smith, the chief conspirator, in the back to offset the chance that the captain will evade indictment and conviction for his criminal conspiracy.
But i love wonder boys, glad you mentioned it one of. Smith likes to call his men good lads, and seems so wise we can almost believe him as. Quartet, as well as a standalone novel, clandestine. Confirming my fascination for american crime fiction, curtis hansons l. Guy pearce fights crime and dishonest police officers in l.
Ed exley, the ambitious, cleannosed and widely despised son of a. Hanson and helgeland, knowing that most viewers would be coming to the film cold, cleverly decided to withhold any sign of dudleys true nature until this moment, so that were. Dudley smith, the shrewd and streetwise captain of the l. Eng225 instructor michael odonnell 12015 sometimes a movie makes a lasting impression on you as an individual, sometimes youll come back to this movie time and time again. Confidential by brian helgeland based on the novel by james ellroy november 16, 1995 minor revisions fade in.
Confidential, spans about eight yearsfrom early 1950 to about april 1958. And three lawmen are caught in a deadly spiral, a nightmare that tests loyalty and courage, and offers no mercy, grants no survivors. The police, led by captain dudley, convince wiseguys from jersey, cleveland, and elsewhere to go home. Captain smith briefs the squad room on jack vincennes death. A confidential 1997 film the big short 6 jared vennetts pitch to front point partners jenga blocks scene duration. No, edmund, hes just a man who can answer yes to those questions ive asked you from time to time. Captain dudley liam smith is a seemingly jovial, friendly police captain who hides a truly dark and monstrous corrupt nature under his smile. In the big nowhere, dudley smith is described as tall, beefside broad. Captain dudley smith james cromwell may or may not be implicated in his departments corruption. Captain dudley smith and a large group of his men are setting.
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