L.A. Confidential Poster
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L.A. Confidential (1997)

18 138 min  -  Crime | Drama | Mystery  -   19 September 1997 (USA)
8.4
Your rating:
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Ratings: 8.4/10 from 225,314 users   Metascore: 90/100 
Reviews: 563 user | 146 critic | 28 from Metacritic.com

As corruption grows in 1950s LA, three policemen - the straight-laced, the brutal, and the sleazy - investigate a series of murders with their own brand of justice.

Director:

Curtis Hanson

Writers:

James Ellroy (novel), Brian Helgeland (screenplay), and 1 more credit »
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Related News

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3 June 2009 12:00 PM, PDT | WENN
Curtis Hanson's sign: 'Gemini'
12 February 2009 2:00 PM, PST | The Hollywood Reporter
Actor Sandeen Dies
11 February 2009 3:55 AM, PST | WENN

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L.A. Confidential -- A shooting at an all night diner is investigated by three LA policemen in their own unique ways. L.A. Confidential -- A shooting at an all night diner is investigated by three LA policemen in their own unique ways.
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Spacey ...
Russell Crowe ...
Guy Pearce ...
James Cromwell ...
Kim Basinger ...
Danny DeVito ...
David Strathairn ...
Ron Rifkin ...
Matt McCoy ...
'Badge of Honor' Star Brett Chase
Paul Guilfoyle ...
Paolo Seganti ...
Elisabeth Granli ...
Mickey Cohen's Mambo Partner
Sandra Taylor ...
Mickey Cohen's Mambo Partner
Steve Rankin ...
Officer Arresting Mickey Cohen
Graham Beckel Graham Beckel ...
Dick Stensland
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Storyline

1950's Los Angeles is the seedy backdrop for this intricate noir-ish tale of police corruption and Hollywood sleaze. Three very different cops are all after the truth, each in their own style: Ed Exley, the golden boy of the police force, willing to do almost anything to get ahead, except sell out; Bud White, ready to break the rules to seek justice, but barely able to keep his raging violence under control; and Jack Vincennes, always looking for celebrity and a quick buck until his conscience drives him to join Exley and White down the one-way path to find the truth behind the dark world of L.A. crime. Written by Greg Bole <bole@life.bio.sunysb.edu>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Police | 1950s | Corruption | Violence | Murder  | See more »

Taglines:

It's a crime saga that will shock you. It's a mystery that will keep you guessing. It's a thriller that will keep you riveted. See more »

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and language, and for sexuality See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Los Ángeles al desnudo See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$5,211,198 (USA) (21 September 1997) (769 Screens)

Gross:

$64,604,977 (USA) (25 May 1998)
See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Many of the events in the movie were based upon real events. These include the Bloody Christmas scene where drunken police officers brutally beat up Hispanic prisoners suspected of beating up two uniformed cops; the plot line of real-life gangster Mickey Cohen's arrest touching off a gang war for control of the rackets; the LAPD Goon Squad which would kidnap out-of-town gangsters, beat them up and threaten to kill them if they ever tried to come back to set up their operations; Lana Turner dating gangster Johnny Stompanato (although this movie is set in 1953, and the real Turner and Stompanato didn't start dating until 1957). In real life, Turner's daughter Cheryl Crane stabbed Stompanato to death on April 4, 1958, after catching him beating her mother. See more »

Goofs

Anachronisms: In the Nite Owl café murder scene, as the camera pans over the café, the mustard and cat-sup are seen to be in plastic containers. In the 1950s, mustard and cat-sup always came in glass bottles. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Sid Hudgens: [voiceover] Come to Los Angeles! The sun shines bright, the beaches are wide and inviting, and the orange groves stretch as far as the eye can see. There are jobs aplenty, and land is cheap. Every working man can have his own house, and inside every house, a happy, all-American family. You can have all this, and who knows... you could even be discovered, become a movie star... or at least see one. Life is good in Los Angeles... it's paradise on Earth." Ha ha ha ha. That's what they tell you, anyway.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Characters from the movie were incorporated into period stock footage
shown during the credits See more »


Soundtracks

"Silver Bells"
(1950)
Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans See more »